In an interview following the US-Russia summit on August 15, Fox News' Sean Hannity asked Trump about territorial concessions allowing Russia to hold regions it hasn't yet controlled and the possibility of the US guaranteeing Ukraine's security.
"We negotiated and largely agreed on these points. The meeting was very warm. President Putin is strong and extremely tough. I think it’s time to end this, and Ukraine must agree to that," Trump said. He advised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach an agreement. "It really now depends on President Zelensky. They will arrange a meeting between him, President Putin, and me," the US President added.
Trump noted that both President Putin and President Zelensky wanted him to participate in a potential future meeting. When asked if peace between Russia and Ukraine could be achieved in a relatively short time, Trump responded, "Yes, quite soon."
Trump also admitted that he had underestimated the difficulty of resolving the Ukraine conflict. "I thought this would be the easiest, but in fact, it’s the hardest," he said. During his campaign, Trump had claimed he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. He declined to detail the specific issues blocking a deal between Russia and Ukraine, stating, "We’ll see what we can achieve." Despite the lack of an agreement, Trump praised the US-Russia summit.
"I believe this meeting deserves a 10 out of 10, as we were very much in sync. It’s great to see the two superpowers in harmony, especially since they’re both nuclear powers. We’re number one, they’re number two—it’s very important," he said.
Trump also mentioned the possibility of postponing additional sanctions on Russia for 2-3 weeks but warned that Moscow could face other serious consequences. The two leaders attended a three-hour summit on August 15, followed by an 11-minute joint press conference. Putin began the press conference, announcing consensus with Trump and expressing hope that Ukraine and Europe would not hinder the peace process.
Putin acknowledged the US-Russia relationship had deteriorated to its lowest point since the Cold War, with no summit held in the last four years. He suggested holding the next meeting in Moscow, to which Trump responded that this could happen.