US President Donald Trump told reporters that he is not sure whether he will be able to end the war in Ukraine. "I don't know. I can't say whether it will happen or not", he said aboard the government plane Air Force One, answering a question whether he believes he will stop the conflict. His words were quoted by the BBC.
Trump confirmed that ending the war is a priority for him: "Yes. I would like it to happen", he stressed. His statement marked a change in tone from earlier campaign statements, when he promised to end the war "within 24 hours" of returning to the White House. He later admitted in an interview with Time magazine in April that the claim was a "figure of speech" and an exaggeration intended to emphasize his confidence that he could achieve a ceasefire.
This week, Trump held phone calls with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. After the conversation with the Russian leader, he admitted that he was "disappointed" and that "no progress was made." Regarding the call with Zelensky, Trump said that they discussed the possibility of supplying missiles for the Patriot systems.