Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the Russia‑Ukraine war is “very close to being solved” and that a major agreement could soon be reached, potentially involving the entire continent of Europe. Trump made the comments after meeting with a senior envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin and signing an announcement in the Oval Office. During a brief media briefing, Trump stated, “I think we’re very close to solving the Russia‑Ukraine problem.” He confirmed that he had met earlier with the Russian envoy but declined to disclose the details of the conversation. Trump added that the forthcoming agreement would be “a great, beautiful agreement that everyone will be very excited about,” and that it would “soon put a line to the end of the war.” Trump’s remarks came after the Republican Party suffered a significant defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, with the Democratic Party gaining control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Trump has said he looks forward to working with the new Congress but also reminded that he retains the power to use the presidential veto if necessary. In the Oval Office, Trump signed an announcement while a red hat with the word “VETO” written on it was visible on his desk. The hat was reportedly a symbolic reminder of the presidential veto power. The comments followed a separate event in which First Lady Melania Trump facilitated a ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the town of Oleshky, which is under Russian control. Melania Trump met with representatives from both sides at the White House earlier in the day. White House officials said that the Russian delegation included Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser to President Putin on international economic cooperation. The U.S., Russia, and Ukraine are reportedly preparing to meet in Abu Dhabi on October 10‑11 for the first time since February of this year. Trump’s statements have reignited discussions about the possibility of the United States shifting its stance toward Kyiv, raising concerns among some observers that the U.S. might abandon its support for Ukraine.
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