US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, and encouraged Russia to make a deal to end the four-year war in Ukraine.
Trump’s
remarks came on the second day of the G7 Summit, where leaders discussed the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The discussions took place two days after the US and Iran confirmed a framework deal to end the war in the Gulf region.
Speaking before his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump noted that Russia and Ukraine have lost thousands of people due to the war, and also pointed out the hostilities between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Russia should make a deal. Russia has lost tremendous numbers of people, and so has Ukraine. Last month, they lost 35,000 soldiers between the two of them. This is on a monthly basis. And it’s crazy what’s going on there,” he said after a bilateral meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
🚨 NOW: President Trump moves to END the UKRAINE WAR after achieving peace with Iran
The peace president never slows down! 🇺🇸
“I had [a meeting with Zelensky]. Russia should make a deal!”
“Last month, they lost 35,000 soldiers between the two.”
“Mostly soldiers, young, young,… pic.twitter.com/gBnqTyOUcB
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 16, 2026
“We had a meeting, and I spoke with President Putin on Sunday. It’s sort of the same thing. I mean, they just keep going, fighting, losing soldiers. This is not since World War II; anything like this has not happened,” he added.
Zelenskyy Says Trump ‘Positive’ On Ukraine Aid
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy told Reuters that Trump was “very positive” that the US can help Ukraine with more air defence missiles. He claimed there was unanimity among all G7 leaders that Russia is not winning the war and has to make a deal as soon as possible.
He also posted images on social media showing the two leaders, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, talking on the sidelines of the G7 summit. “It is always important to coordinate positions,” he wrote.
The Ukrainian President is pushing for greater international support to halt Russia’s war, worried that the US is distracted by the conflict in Iran. He has also proposed face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the war.
With Ukrainian drone attacks putting Russia on the defensive, European diplomats are seeking greater support for Kyiv after previous US positions were seen as favourable to Moscow.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “there was real unity in the room” when Trump and the other G7 leaders discussed the conflict.
