US President Donald Trump has said he wants to bypass a ceasefire in Ukraine to move directly to a permanent peace agreement after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a major shift of position, the US president said on Truth Social following Friday's summit that this would be "the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine", adding that ceasefires often "do not hold up".
Trump will welcome Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, to Washington tomorrow and urged him to agree to a peace deal.
Following a phone call with Trump after the summit, Zelensky called for a real, lasting peace, while adding that "the fire must cease" and killings must stop.
Trump's comments indicate a dramatic shift in his position on how to end the war, having said only on Friday, ahead of the summit, that he wanted a ceasefire "rapidly".
Ukraine's main demand has been a quick ceasefire before talks about a longer-term settlement, and Trump reportedly told European leaders beforehand that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire deal.
The US president, who has previously said any peace deal would involve "some swapping of territories", is said to have relayed the offer to Zelensky in the call following the summit.
Trump had previously threatened "very severe consequences" if Putin did not agree to end the war last month, setting a deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions, including secondary tariffs.
Source: BBC
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