Trump calls on Russia and Ukraine to freeze war at current battle lines

US president says Russia and Ukraine ‘should halt close present astatine the conflict lines, spell home’ and ‘be done’.

United States President Donald Trump has called for Russia and Ukraine to frost the warfare on existent conflict lines – a connection that would spot Moscow support ample areas of Ukrainian territory.

Trump told reporters precocious connected Sunday that the 2 sides should conscionable halt warring and resoluteness the “details” implicit territory astatine aboriginal talks. The existent beforehand enactment runs done the Donbas region, an concern hub.

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“What I accidental is they should halt close present astatine the conflict lines, spell home, halt sidesplitting radical and beryllium done,” the US president said, adding that it would beryllium hard to negociate details of a last resolution.

Asked astir what would hap to Donbas, which has seen astir of the fighting, Trump said: “Let it beryllium chopped the mode it is. It’s chopped up close present – I deliberation 78 percent of the onshore is already taken by Russia. You permission it the mode it is close now. They tin negociate thing aboriginal connected down the line.”

Ukraine has antecedently insisted connected reclaiming each of its land. Trump himself asserted past month that Ukraine can triumph militarily and recapture each of the territories occupied by Russia, which besides includes the Crimean Peninsula and different areas successful eastbound Ukraine.

The US president, who had promised to swiftly extremity the warfare betwixt Russia and Ukraine, is acceptable to conscionable his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, successful Hungary successful the coming weeks.

Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy astatine the White House past week and said there is simply a accidental to reason the struggle rapidly “if flexibility is shown”.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy called connected Trump to use much unit to Putin, likening the Russian president to the Palestinian radical Hamas.

“Putin is thing akin but much beardown than Hamas,” Zelenskyy told NBC News.

Last week, the Ukrainian president suggested that the Trump-brokered ceasefire successful Gaza offered “momentum” to halt the warfare successful Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy besides renewed his petition that the US supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. Trump did not accidental yes to the request, Zelenskyy conceded, but helium besides did not accidental no.

Trump precocious suggested that the US needs to support its Tomahawk stockpiles for its ain nationalist information interests.

Under erstwhile President Joe Biden, the US offered unflinching enactment to Ukraine, with tens of billions of dollars successful military, budgetary and humanitarian aid.

But Trump has been reducing assistance to Ukraine portion encouraging European countries to limb Kyiv by buying US weapons.

Russia launched an all-out penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, citing NATO’s enlargement into erstwhile Soviet republics.

Ukrainian forces succeeded successful fending disconnected the archetypal stages of the offensive, which aimed to seizure Kyiv. But the warfare has turned into a protracted conflict concentrated successful the eastbound parts of Ukraine.