US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he believes Russia has agreed to a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump also implied that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was hindering progress and that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been easier to deal with, reports DW.
"I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelenskyy," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy. So far it`s been harder," the US president said.
"But, I think we have a deal with both. I hope they do it, because I`m looking to save and, you know, we spent a lot of money, but this is about a lot of humanity," Trump added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had slammed Zelenskyy for making "it so difficult to settle this war" in a post on Truth Social, after the Ukraine leader refused to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
US media reports suggest that a US peace proposal includes recognizing Russia`s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
During the press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump dodged questions about Crimea, insisting that he wants to bring the war to an end and that he has "no favorites" between Ukraine and Russia.
Hours earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had said Trump was "frustrated" and that his "patience is running very thin."
"He wants to see the killing stop, but you need both sides of the war willing to do that, and unfortunately, President Zelenskyy seems to be moving in the wrong direction," Leavitt said.
