Donald Trump met with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO Summit, and he also said that Putin “really has to end the war”.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he turned down an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to help mediate the conflict between Israel and Iran, asking him instead to assist in ending the war in Ukraine.
“He called the other day and said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you,’” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump has been calling himself a “broker of peace” in recent weeks, claiming credit for securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, though the truce quickly unraveled.
Trump’s Push for Peace Between Israel and Iran
According to White House officials, Trump led an intense diplomatic push last weekend. While Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff engaged in backchannel talks with Iran, Trump personally called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Let’s get on the phone with the Iranians. Get me Bibi. We’re going to make peace,” Trump reportedly told his team.
Both Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, but just hours later, both sides launched new strikes, violating the agreement. A frustrated Trump posted on Truth Social, warning Israel to stand down:
“Call your pilots back. Do not bomb Tehran,” he wrote.
Later, he vented about the situation:
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.”
By Wednesday, Trump announced the ceasefire was holding again and that “nobody will be hurt.”
Turning Focus to Ukraine
Now, Trump says his priority is shifting back to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a conflict he pledged to end during his presidential campaign.
He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. The two leaders, who had a strained relationship earlier this year, reportedly held a “good” and “substantive” 50-minute meeting.
“We discussed the protection of our people—first and foremost, the purchase of American air-defense systems,” Zelensky said in a post after the meeting.
Trump, in turn, described the meeting as friendly and productive, hinting at the possibility of providing additional Patriot missile systems to Ukraine to defend against Russian strikes.
Next Steps with Putin?
Trump ended by saying he expects to speak with Putin again soon, reiterating his belief that the Russian leader is ready to bring the war to a close.
“He’d like to get out of this thing. It’s a mess for him,” Trump said. “Vladimir Putin really has to end that war.”
As Trump continues to position himself as a global peacemaker, his remarks suggest a renewed diplomatic push on Ukraine—even as the situation in the Middle East remains fragile.
