Russia-Ukraine conflict "much more difficult": Trump says Putin-Zelenskyy "not liking each other too much"

Evian [France], June 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump said he remains engaged in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, revealing that he recently held “very good talks” with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Speaking during a bilateral interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Trump was asked whether diplomatic momentum following developments in West Asia could be carried over to securing an end to the war in Ukraine.

Responding, Trump said he believed the conflict would have been easier to resolve but acknowledged that deep hostility between Moscow and Kyiv had complicated negotiations. He also repeated his claim of ending eight wars.

He said, “I had very good talks with President Zelenskyy and with President Putin. And we’d like to see that one end. I ended eight wars, and to be honest with you, I thought this would have been one of the easier ones, but they’re not liking each other too much, and that makes it much more difficult.”

On the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Russia, Trump indicated that Washington was continuing to assess the situation and linked broader geopolitical developments to global energy markets.

He said, “We are looking at that. We are seeing how far the price of oil comes down; it’s really tumbling… It’s down, it’s soon going to be at the number that was four months ago.”

Earlier, the G7 leaders reaffirmed solidarity with Ukraine in the war against Russia, agreeing to increase additional air defence systems, licenses to increase military production, while strengthening sanctions against the Russian oil and gas sectors.

Issuing a formal declaration, the Heads of State and Government of the G7 expressed “unwavering support” for Ukraine and lauded the nation and its citizens for their “resilience and progress” amid the prolonged conflict.

“We, the Heads of State and Government of the G7, stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Ukrainian people, whose vital infrastructure and cultural heritage are under attack. We commend Ukraine for its resilience and the progress it has made on the front lines in recent months, and we emphasize that there is now renewed momentum,” the statement read.

To boost Ukraine’s defence capabilities, the G7 leaders agreed to further boost the air defence systems, interceptors and long-range ammunition, while granting licenses to increase Ukraine’s military production. The leaders also agreed to strengthen the energy requirements of Kyiv and assured additional support ahead of the upcoming winter.

Expressing committment to increase pressure on Russia, the G7 leaders announced the strengthening of sanctions on its oil and gas sectors.

Welcoming the announcement of a peace deal between the US and Iran, the leaders affirmed their resolve towards taking a significant step to end the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. (ANI)

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