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U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russia and Ukraine are "not ready yet" for a peace agreement despite his ongoing diplomatic efforts with both leaders, characterizing his approach to the conflict as "both realistic and optimistic."
Trump told CBS News in a phone interview that he remains committed to brokering a peace deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, even as uncertainty mounts over prospects for direct negotiations.
"I've been watching it, I've been seeing it, and I've been talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," Trump said.
"Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet. But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done," he noted.
The president said he is closely monitoring how both leaders handle what he called "this crossroads in the negotiations."
Trump's comments come as Russia continues striking Ukraine. Last month, Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital, killing at least 15 people, including four children, according to city officials.
Trump described his diplomatic strategy as bringing key leaders together to broker real-time agreements with his guidance, an approach he said demands patience even when seeking quick resolutions.
"Frankly, the Russia one, I thought, would have been on the easier side of the ones I've stopped, but it seems to be something that's a little bit more difficult than some of the others," Trump said.
The president expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing violence but vowed to continue pursuing peace.
"I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said.
Trump has claimed credit for ending six or seven wars during his current term, referencing conflicts involving Israel and Iran, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.
However, some foreign policy analysts have criticized these claims, arguing many conflicts remain unresolved or were not full-scale wars, and questioning Trump's central role in negotiations.
"A lot of times, they're fighting each other for so long," Trump told CBS News.
"They're fighting each other for so long, they don't even think in terms of peace. It just becomes a way of life. And when I get them together, I get the people in the room, I'm able to convince them. 'Let's go. Let's make peace. It's enough, already. You've lost enough lives," he noted.
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When asked about the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump said he is not seeking the award despite his peace efforts.
"I have nothing to say about it," Trump said.
"All I can do is put out wars. I don't seek attention. I just want to save lives," he noted.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump told reporters he watched Putin join leaders from China and North Korea at a military parade in Beijing.
"I understand the reason they were doing it, and they were hoping I was watching, and I was watching," Trump said, adding: "My relationship with all of them is very good. We're going to find out how good it is over the next week or two."
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient is expected to be announced next month.
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