Ukraine war: Trump says a peace deal is "getting closer" after talks with Putin and Zelensky

US President Donald Trump asserted on Monday that a solution to the war in Ukraine, which has lasted for more than four years, was "closer than people think." This statement came after telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky , ahead of a NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara.

Donald Trump indicated that he intended to raise the Ukrainian conflict during discussions held this week in Turkey with leaders of NATO member countries. However, he did not explain what factors led him to believe that a resolution to the conflict was now possible.

His statements came as Russia launched a new wave of attacks against Ukraine the following night. Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and the surrounding region, killing at least 28 people according to reports following the bombings.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the American position on how to resolve the conflict had not changed. He indicated that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump had agreed to continue their contacts "in the near future."

According to Dmitry Peskov, the American president remains consistent in his approach and open to information provided by the Russian leader. "All these fabrications that he changes his mind like a weather vane are false," the Kremlin spokesman declared, asserting that Trump has a stable view of the situation.

For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky told the Financial Times that he felt Donald Trump now viewed the war from a different perspective, particularly in light of recent successes in Ukraine. He also described their weekend phone call as "very good."

The Ukrainian president specifically mentioned Ukrainian long-range drone operations targeting Russian oil infrastructure, which he said contributed to fuel shortages in Russia. According to Zelensky, these actions may have influenced Donald Trump's perception of the conflict.

Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. A US official indicated that the aim of the meeting was to revitalize diplomatic efforts to end the war, adding that Trump might also re-establish contact with Vladimir Putin following his meeting with the Ukrainian president.