Trump: Putin and Zelensky Needn't Be in the Same Room to Reach a Deal

US President Donald Trump said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky do not have to be in the same room to reach a deal, according to his October 20 press conference, as relayed by Clash Report.

He added that both Ukraine and Russia are losing many people, but Russia is a huge country and Ukraine is not. In his words, Zelensky should want to end the war, and if he does not, Trump thinks it will have very bad consequences.

"Ukraine must seek a deal itself"

"Ukraine must itself seek to make a deal, because the United States has spent a whole fortune on this, Europe has also spent a whole fortune, and Europe is already tired of it. If they do not make a deal, then in the end, in my opinion, the situation will simply get worse," Trump said.

Trump then again shared his version of how the war went, including a story that one "stupid Russian general" got lost on the way to Kyiv at the start of the full-scale invasion and got stuck in the mud. He also said the hatred between Putin and Zelensky is "just huge" and is the main reason they have not yet reached an agreement. In his view, they do not have to be in the same room to sign a deal. "I think they can do it another way. It is hard for them to end up in the same room. I don't care how it is done," he said.

Recent exchanges

On Sunday, Zelensky accused Trump of trying to pressure Ukraine into capitulating to Russia and of delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems. On Monday, Trump accused Zelensky of allegedly never having wanted to end Russia's war against Ukraine. On October 19 Trump told reporters that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had been fair about Ukraine, and Russia too. Zelensky spoke afterwards about the talks in Oslo, as we reported in US Reaffirms Reliable Security Guarantees After Oslo Talks. More in our politics section.