{"id":193761,"date":"2025-12-16T00:42:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T00:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-war-latest-trump-claims-peace-deal-closer-than-ever-after-talks-with-putin-the-independent\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T00:42:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T00:42:22","slug":"ukraine-war-latest-trump-claims-peace-deal-closer-than-ever-after-talks-with-putin-the-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-war-latest-trump-claims-peace-deal-closer-than-ever-after-talks-with-putin-the-independent\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine war latest: Trump claims peace deal \u2018closer than ever\u2019 after talks with Putin – The Independent"},"content":{"rendered":"

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US officials said that Kyiv would be offered \u2018Article Five-type\u2019 security guarantees in a peace deal
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Donald Trump<\/a> has said \u201cwe\u2019re closer now than we have been ever\u201d to a peace deal between Russia<\/a> and Ukraine<\/a> following talks between European leaders and US officials – but key differences remain on the issue of territory.
The US president told reporters on Monday that he had held a \u201clong talk\u201d with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine\u2019s European allies over the status of peace talks taking place in Berlin.
\u201cI think we’re closer now than we have been ever and we’ll see what we can do. We want to save a lot of lives,\u201d he said.
He added that he had spoken directly to Russia\u2019s president Vladimir Putin recently, who he claimed<\/a> \u201cwants to see it end\u201d.
It follows news that the US president believes he can get Putin to accept a Nato-like article five security guarantee<\/a> for Ukraine<\/a> following almost three days of negotiations with the Kyiv delegation.
Echoing the US leader\u2019s optimism, German chancellor Friedrich Merz<\/a> said on social media: \u201cFor the first time since the war began, a ceasefire now seems possible.\u201d
<\/a>Russia is a growing threat to the UK and the nation\u2019s \u201csons and daughters\u201d must be ready to fight in the event of an attack, the head of the British armed forces<\/a> has warned.
Making the case for a society-wide approach to \u201cdefence and deterrence\u201d, chief of defence staff<\/a> Sir Richard Knighton said the situation is \u201cmore dangerous than I have known during my career\u201d.
He called on \u201cpeople who are not soldiers<\/a>, sailors or aviators to nevertheless invest their skills \u2013 and money\u201d on building up national resilience.
Sir Richard said: \u201cSons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans. \u2026will all have a role to play. To build. To serve. And if necessary, to fight. And more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means.
\u201cThat is why it\u2019s so important we do explain the changing threat and the need to stay ahead of it.\u201d
Millie Cooke, <\/em><\/strong><\/a>Political Correspondent reports:<\/em><\/strong>
The United States has offered to provide NATO-style security guarantees for Kyiv as US and European negotiators reported progress in talks on Monday to end the war with Russia, but a deal on territorial concessions remained elusive.
Envoys sent by US president Donald Trump made the unprecedented offer at talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin, US officials said, but warned such a deal would not be on the table forever.
The talks in the German capital have sparked some optimism from European leaders on a path to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. However, Moscow is yet to agree to any of the changes discussed in Germany and has not indicated any willingness to do so.
“We’re trying to get it done,” Trump said of an agreement to end the war, speaking at the White House after he called into a dinner involving the key officials in Berlin. “We had numerous conversations with President Putin of Russia, and I think we’re closer now than we have been ever and we’ll see what we can do,” Trump added.
The US is also leaning on Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the eastern Donetsk region, an official familiar with the matter said, in what would be a massive concession that could cause a ferocious backlash in Ukraine.
Calling the issue of territorial concessions “painful”, Zelensky told reporters later: “Frankly speaking, we still have different positions.” But he said he believed US mediators would help find a compromise.
Donald Trump gave an update as US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attended a dinner with European leaders, which the US president called into.
“I had a long talk with President Zelensky. Also, I spoke with the heads of Germany, Italy, NATO, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands. We had very long and very good talks. And again, I think things are going along pretty well.
<\/a>“27,000 soldiers were killed last month. Shouldn’t happen. Should have never happened. Should have never started that war should have never ever started, but it did and we’re trying to get it solved \u2014 that was Biden’s situation which I’m to get it done, and I think we’re closer now \u2014and they, they will tell you that they’re closer now.
\u201cWe had numerous conversations with President Putin of Russia, and I think we’re closer now than we have been ever and we’ll see what we can do. We want to save a lot of lives. You know, we sell equipment to NATO. We don’t spend any money, but we do want to see if we can save a lot of lives when you’re losing 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers, mostly soldiers, so other people too, from towns then, like places like Kiev, various other places throughout Ukraine, it’s pretty bad. Nobody’s seen anything like it actually since World War Two.
\u201cBut we’re getting closer. We’re having tremendous support from European leaders. They want to get it ended also, and at this point, this moment, Russia wants to get it and the problem is, they’ll want to get it ended and then all of a sudden they won’t and Ukraine will want to get it ended and all of a sudden, they won’t. So we have to get them on the same page. But I think that’s working along. Very good talk.”
President Donald Trump has claimed that a peace agreement is \u201ccloser than ever\u201d after speaking directly with Vladimir Putin.
\u201cWe had numerous conversations with President Putin of Russia, and I think we’re closer now than we have been ever and we’ll see what we can do. We want to save a lot of lives.\u201d
He added: \u201cWe have to get them on the same page. But I think that’s working along..”
Ukraine and its European allies, including the UK, have set out conditions for a peace deal with Russia following a meeting in Berlin on Monday night.
In a joint statement, the leaders of 10 countries and the EU said they and the US had \u201ccommitted to work together to provide robust security guarantees and economic recovery support measures for Ukraine\u201d.
They said any agreement should include commitments to provide support for Ukraine\u2019s armed forces, which should continue to have 800,000 troops; involve a European-led multinational force and a US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
An agreement should also include a legally binding commitment for allies to \u201ctake measures to restore peace and security\u201d if Russia attacks again; investment in Ukraine\u2019s economic future; and support for Ukraine\u2019s accession to the EU, they said.
They added: \u201cIt is now incumbent upon Russia to show willingness to work towards a lasting peace by agreeing to President Trump\u2019s peace plan and to demonstrate their commitment to end the fighting by agreeing to a ceasefire. Leaders agreed to continue to increase pressure on Russia to bring Moscow to negotiate in earnest.\u201d
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that for the first time since Russia started its war with Ukraine, \u201ca ceasefire now seems possible.\u201d
He said in a post on social media: \u201cFor the first time since the war began, a ceasefire now seems possible.
\u201cWe want to move along the path to peace together with the Ukrainians, our European partners, and the United States.
\u201cI believe that today, in Berlin, we are taking an important step forward on that path.\u201d
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