Former President Donald Trump said Sunday he hopes to see a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war “within two weeks or less,” though he later acknowledged a slightly longer timeline might be necessary.
Trump’s remarks came a day after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Vatican City, where both leaders were attending Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome.
“I think the meeting went well. We’ll see what happens over the next few days — we’ll probably learn a lot,” Trump told reporters at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey before returning to Washington.
Trump also expressed frustration over continued Russian missile and drone strikes in Ukraine, saying he was “very disappointed” that Russia had not paused its attacks despite his recent appeal to President Vladimir Putin to hold off while negotiations were underway.
When asked about his conversation with Zelenskyy, Trump said the Ukrainian president stressed the urgent need for more weapons.
“He told me that he needs more weapons, and we’re going to see what happens,” Trump said. “I want to see what’s going on with Russia—honestly, I’ve been surprised and disappointed by the bombings.”
Pressed on what he expects from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump responded, “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal. I believe we have the framework for an agreement, and I want him to finalize it so everyone can move on and get back to life.”
Trump acknowledged that Ukraine reclaiming Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014—would be a complicated issue, placing blame on former President Barack Obama for allowing Russia to seize the region in the first place. When asked whether he believed Ukraine would ultimately give up Crimea, Trump replied, “I think so.”
Earlier on Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Russia and Ukraine appear closer to reaching a deal following Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy, though an agreement remains elusive.
“They’re closer now than they’ve been at any point in the last three years, but it’s still not there,” Rubio told NBC’s Meet the Press. “We can’t continue dedicating time and resources if this effort isn’t going to come to fruition. The past week has been about assessing how close both sides really are and whether it’s enough to justify continued U.S. involvement as a mediator.”
Trump and Zelenskyy met Saturday in Vatican City while both leaders were in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. According to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, the two had a “very productive session.” Zelenskyy, in a post on X, described the meeting as “good” and added, “Hoping for results on everything we covered—protecting the lives of our people, achieving a full and unconditional ceasefire, and securing a reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war. A very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results.”
Following their discussion, Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s ongoing bombardment of Ukrainian cities, which continued overnight into Sunday with fresh drone attacks across six Ukrainian regions. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces intercepted eight Ukrainian drones during the same period.
In an interview, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed concerns about trusting Putin, given that the Russian leader has never recognized Ukraine’s right to exist.
“Well, I don’t think peace deals are built on trust,” Rubio said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Peace deals have to be built on verification, facts, actions, and realities. It’s not about trust—it’s about making sure there are security guarantees and verification mechanisms, things that have been discussed in the past.”
Rubio said the U.S. has made “real progress,” but warned that “the last couple steps of this journey were always going to be the hardest ones — and they need to happen soon.”
While Rubio declined to provide a specific timeline for a deal, he emphasized that this is a “critical week” for the U.S.
“This week is going to be really important,” Rubio said. “We have to decide whether this is an effort we want to continue investing in, or if it’s time to shift focus to other issues that are equally, if not more, important in some cases. We want to see it succeed — there are reasons to be optimistic, but also reasons to be realistic. We’re close, but we’re not close enough.”
Meanwhile, when asked about the ongoing negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed deep concern, telling CNN’s “State of the Union” that he fears Trump will “cave in to Putin” and “sell out” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“My great fear, Dana, is that Trump will simply cave to Putin,” Schumer told CNN’s Dana Bash. “That’s been the pattern all along. And if Trump does cave, it will have three terrible consequences: First, abandoning Ukraine would be a moral tragedy; second, it would severely damage our alliances with European allies; and third — and perhaps most dangerous — it would project weakness, sending a signal to dictators in China, North Korea, and Iran that bullying Trump will get results.”
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” said additional sanctions against Russia could be on the table as the U.S. works to pressure Moscow into reaching a deal.
“[Trump] has discussed possible action against the banking sector and the oil and gas industry,” Waltz said. “He’s determined to use both carrots and sticks to bring both sides to the table.”
