Trump says Russia ‘have the cards’ in peace talks that can end Ukraine war

US President Donald Trump has said that he believes Russia has “the cards” in any peace talks to end the war in Ukraine as Russia has “taken a lot of territory”.

In an interview to BBC, the US president said he trusts Moscow genuinely wants to see the conflict, which began with its full-scale invasion nearly three years ago, come to an end.

Trump was returning to Washington DC after addressing a Saudi-backed investment meeting in Florida, where he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyu a “dictator” for the second time that day.

His frustration stemmed from Zelenskyy’s remarks about US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, from which Kyiv was excluded, in which the Ukrainian president claimed that Trump was “living in a disinformation space” controlled by Moscow.

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“I think the Russians want to see the war end, I really do. I think they have the cards a little bit, because they’ve taken a lot of territory. They have the cards,” BBC quoted Trump as saying on Air Force One.

When asked if he trusts that Russia seeks peace, Trump replied, “I do.” This statement followed his recent criticism of Zelenskyy in Florida, where he referred to the Ukrainian president as a “dictator,” echoing the same sentiment he had expressed hours earlier in a Truth Social post.

A White House official said later that Trump’s post was a direct reaction to Zelenskyy’s comments regarding “disinformation.”

“He refuses to have elections. He’s low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?” Trump was quoted as saying in Florida.

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Zelenskyy’s five-year term is set to end in May 2024, but elections are suspended due to martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Trump has questioned Zelenskyy’s popularity, claiming a 4% approval rating, while BBC verifed found that 57% of Ukrainians trust their president.

Trump’s “dictator” remark drew swift criticism from European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called it “wrong and dangerous” to deny Zelensky’s democratic legitimacy. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also expressed his support for Zelensky in a call.

On Tuesday, US and Russian officials held their first high-level talks since the invasion, with Ukraine excluded from the discussions.

With inputs from agencies