Donald Trump predicts a ‘big, beautiful agreement’ to end the Ukraine war, saying a possible deal could involve all of Europe after meeting Putin’s envoy.
US President Donald Trump has hinted at a possible agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war, saying the deal could extend beyond the two warring nations and involve the entire European continent. Trump said he expects a major agreement to emerge, describing it as a “big, beautiful agreement” that would leave “everyone” thrilled.
Trump’s remarks came after he held a private meeting on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, at the White House. The Russian official had earlier attended an event alongside Ukrainian representatives organised by US First Lady Melania Trump.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump declined to disclose details of his conversation with Dmitriev but expressed optimism about the prospects of an agreement to end the conflict.
“I’m just telling you, there’s going to be an agreement. It’s going to be a big agreement, and it’s going to involve more than Ukraine. It’s going to be a very big. It’s going to involve more than Ukraine. And I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It’s going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone’s going to be thrilled,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that a deal to end the war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two, was within reach. However, diplomatic negotiations have gathered pace in recent weeks.
US TO MEDIATE RUSSIA-UKRAINE TALKS IN ABU DHABI
The latest diplomatic engagement comes ahead of a US-mediated round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
Trump said he did not meet the Ukrainian delegation on Thursday. Meanwhile, his envoy Jared Kushner said US officials held “productive and substantive discussions” with Ukraine, NATO and European partners in Brussels on Thursday.
The discussions focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and a broader European security architecture, Kushner said in a social media post.
“We are working intensively with all parties to find practical solutions that can bring this war to an end and establish the foundations for lasting peace,” he said.
MELANIA TRUMP BRINGS RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN REPRESENTATIVES TO WHITE HOUSE
Dmitriev was among the officials who attended a rare face-to-face event involving Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House. The event marked a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which Melania Trump helped broker. The temporary truce expired on Sunday.
“We have chosen humanity over war,” the first lady said at the event, urging both sides to build on the humanitarian initiative.
“We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people,” she added.
Melania Trump said she was involved in every stage of planning the temporary ceasefire, including reviewing aerial images and assessing roadways and hospital access.
The US President, who did not attend the event, has previously praised his wife’s involvement in the initiative. In October, Trump told reporters that “she does better than our professionals”.
Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and the country’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, also attended the event and urged the first lady to continue her peace efforts.
Both delegations presented gifts to Melania Trump. Dmitriev gave her a drawing of pink hearts made by a girl from Oleshky, while the Ukrainian representatives presented her with a state award recognising her efforts to help save Ukrainians and reunite children with their families.
