On Friday, President Donald Trump said there has been “very serious” dialogue with Russia about the war in Ukraine, suggesting that “significant” steps are being taken toward resolving the dispute.

“It’s just a senseless situation and it’s got to stop. So, whatever I can do to stop it – and we are having discussions,” President Trump said during an interaction with reporters in the Oval Office.

The President did not disclose the identities of those in his administration who had been in contact with representatives of the Russian government, but he made it clear that the two sides were already in dialogue.

“We will be speaking, and I think we will perhaps do something that’ll be significant,” President Trump said. “We want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.”

Since the run up to his election, President Trump has consistently bemoaned the Ukraine War, and has been critical of both governments for their respective roles in fomenting and perpetuating the conflict. He has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to negotiate with Russia, and has criticized President Putin for “destroying” his country; presumably alluding to Russia’s actions which initiated the prolonged conflict. President Trump has expressed frustration over the loss of life, which has resulted in nearly one million casualties.

The President’s stance has caught the attention of global leaders, including Putin himself. In a recent interview with Russian state television, Putin referred to President Trump as a “clever and pragmatic man”.

“We always had a business-like, pragmatic but also trusting relationship with the current U.S. president,” Putin stated. “I couldn’t disagree with him that if he had been president, if they hadn’t stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis that emerged in Ukraine in 2022 could have been avoided.”

During his campaign, President Trump pledged to make every possible effort to end the ongoing conflict, emphasizing a contrast with the previous administration’s strategy of using the Ukrainian military as a proxy force against Russia. He has argued that the millions of taxpayer dollars sent to Ukraine under President Biden’s leadership have only contributed to an unwinnable situation for the Ukrainian people, resulting in countless casualties.

President Trump and his administration have consistently expressed their commitment to achieving peace through strength, working alongside global partners. While the specific details of this strategy in Eastern Europe remain uncertain, the approach could involve measures such as economic pressure through tariffs or sanctions, or facilitating a viable peace agreement. Ultimately, Trump believes that peace through strength is a far better option than continuing war.