Washington, Oct 2026 : US President Donald Trump has warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that delaying a peace agreement with Russia could leave Kyiv in a weaker negotiating position, arguing that Moscow's continued military advances and Ukraine's mounting casualties make a settlement increasingly urgent.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office alongside Vice President JD Vance, Trump said Russia's size, population and ability to sustain a prolonged military campaign were giving it an advantage in the war. He argued that Ukraine could struggle to secure the terms that might have been available earlier in the conflict if negotiations were delayed further.
Trump's remarks came as his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, prepared to travel to Russia following diplomatic discussions in Oslo aimed at advancing efforts to end the war. The latest diplomatic activity reflects Washington's continued efforts to explore a negotiated settlement, although significant differences between Moscow and Kyiv remain.
"Russia's a big machine. They just keep grinding forward, and that's what they've done," Trump said, describing what he viewed as Russia's growing battlefield advantage.
He claimed Russian forces were continuing to capture Ukrainian territory and that the situation was becoming progressively more difficult for Kyiv.
"They've taken a very large piece of land. And, you know, you can say that Ukraine is doing well or poorly, but the land gets bigger and bigger all the time, week by week," the US President said.
However, Trump did not provide independently verified territorial data to substantiate his description of Russia's recent gains.
Trump presses Zelensky to negotiate
The US President maintained that Ukraine needed to consider the consequences of continuing the conflict, pointing to Russia's larger population and its capacity to sustain military operations over an extended period.
Although acknowledging that both countries had suffered substantial casualties, Trump argued that Ukraine faced greater demographic constraints and could find it increasingly difficult to withstand a prolonged war.
"Ukraine has to want to settle this war. Zelensky has to want to settle this war. And if he doesn't, I think it's going to be a very bad thing," Trump said.
He also suggested that the Ukrainian President had missed an opportunity to negotiate more favourable terms during an earlier meeting at the White House.
Referring to a previous confrontation in the Oval Office involving Zelensky and Vance, Trump argued that Kyiv could have secured a better agreement had it approached negotiations differently.
"Could have made a good deal then. Could have made a much better deal then probably, possibly, that he can make now," he said.
Trump's comments underscored his position that Ukraine should prioritise negotiations rather than continue a conflict that, in his assessment, risks further weakening its military and territorial position.
The Ukrainian leadership's position on any settlement, however, remains central to the diplomatic process, particularly regarding the terms and guarantees needed to end the war.
Criticism of US aid and rising casualties
Trump also renewed his criticism of the scale of American financial and military assistance provided to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
He said Washington had spent hundreds of billions of dollars supporting Kyiv and questioned the returns received by the United States. At the same time, he referred to arrangements involving Ukrainian land and rare-earth resources.
The President also suggested that European governments were becoming increasingly weary of the financial burden associated with supporting Ukraine.
His remarks reflect his broader emphasis on reducing the costs of the conflict for Washington and pressing European countries to shoulder a greater share of the responsibility for supporting Kyiv.
Trump estimated that Russia and Ukraine had together lost 32,000 people during the previous month, describing most of the casualties as soldiers. The figure represented his assessment and was not independently verified.
He said the continuing loss of life was among the principal reasons he wanted the conflict brought to an end.
"I thought -- you know, I settled eight wars. I thought that would be the easiest one," Trump said, expressing frustration over the difficulty of securing an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
He attributed part of the problem to the personal hostility between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky.
"The hatred between President Putin and President Zelensky is tremendous. I think that's most of the reason they haven't been able to make a deal, actually," Trump said.
Trump says leaders need not meet face-to-face
Asked whether Putin and Zelensky would need to meet personally to conclude a peace agreement, Trump indicated that a face-to-face meeting was not essential.
"They don't have to be in the same room; I guess I can do it another way," he said.
The President did not elaborate on what alternative diplomatic arrangement he envisaged or explain how the remaining differences between the two sides could be resolved.
A sustainable agreement would need to address the substantive issues dividing Russia and Ukraine, including territorial questions and the security arrangements surrounding any settlement. Trump's comments did not outline a detailed framework for resolving those issues.
Witkoff's planned visit to Russia is expected to form part of the broader diplomatic effort to explore possible avenues towards ending the conflict. However, no final agreement or specific timetable for a settlement was announced in Trump's remarks.
Trump raises American prisoner's case with Putin
In a separate development, Trump disclosed that he had personally discussed the case of American prisoner Stephen Hubbard with Putin and had asked the Russian leader to release him.
"I've been talking to President Putin about Mr. Hubbard," Trump said.
"I've been talking to him at length. I've asked him to release him, let's see what happens," he added.
Trump did not confirm whether Moscow had agreed to release Hubbard or whether a prisoner-release arrangement was close to completion. However, he suggested that developments could emerge within days.
"I'd love to get him back. It's time to have Mr. Hubbard back," the President said.
The comments indicated that the administration was pursuing Hubbard's release through direct engagement with the Russian leadership, although no formal agreement or timeline was disclosed.
Trump's remarks on Ukraine and Hubbard highlighted Washington's continuing reliance on direct presidential diplomacy with Moscow. While the administration is pressing for an end to the war and seeking progress on individual cases involving American citizens, the outcome of these efforts remains uncertain as negotiations continue.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
