Trump says he wants Russia-Ukraine war to end, blames leaders' hatred

President Trump has said he wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end, describing the conflict as a costly stalemate driven by the personal hatred between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. In an interview, Trump said the two leaders "hate each other" and that this animosity is preventing a peace deal.

Trump claimed that Russia and Ukraine are together losing 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers a month, with the figure varying. He said: "They're losing 25,000 people every month. Russia and Ukraine both losing a lot. And Russia's offensive, so they lose a little bit more." He added that the war is "very unpleasant" and that he simply wants it to end.

The president also suggested that the war would not have happened if the 2020 US election had not been rigged, a claim he has made before. He said: "If the election weren't rigged, the 2020 election weren't rigged, it would have never, you would have in the United States, that war would have never taken place."

Trump went on to boast about his record of ending wars, saying he had ended eight wars, four of which were supposedly more difficult than this one. He said he thought this conflict would be the easiest to resolve, but the leaders' mutual hatred has made it intractable.

The interview also touched on domestic issues, with Trump praising the US economy and calling the country "the hottest country in the world right now." He did not mention NATO directly, despite earlier reports suggesting he had criticised the alliance.