DONALD Trump has said Russia and Ukraine are "very close to a deal" with "most of the major points agreed" — as he called for the two sides to meet face-to-face and “finish it off.”
It came after Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held three-hour “constructive and very useful” talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow — despite the Russian tyrant ignoring Trump’s earlier pleas to halt strikes on civilians.
Shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral, the US President declared: “A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’
“Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!" he wrote on Truth Social.
Speaking earlier during his flight to Italy, the Trump said he hadn’t yet received a full briefing on the meeting between Steve Witkoff and tyrant Putin — but described it as a “pretty good meeting.”
Ukraine envoy Witkoff jetted into Moscow on Friday, where he was whisked into closed-door talks with the Russian strongman – despite Putin having just unleashed one of the war’s worst missile blitzes on Kyiv.
The talks were hailed as “very useful” by Putin aide Yuri Ushakov, who said they helped “bring Russian and US positions closer together... not just on Ukraine but also on a range of other international issues.”
He added: “Specifically on the Ukrainian crisis, the possibility of resuming direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives was in particular discussed.”
But it comes after Putin flagrantly ignored Trump's demands to end Russia's barbaric attacks on civilian targets.
The president's rare rebuke of Putin came after a vicious missile attacks that pounded Kyiv.
Russia fired 215 missiles and drones at the Ukrainian capital in one of the biggest onslaughts of the war.
The bombardment killed at least 12 people, three of whom were children, and wounded more than 80.
It prompted Trump to post on Truth Social: "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing.
"Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying.
"Let's get the Peace Deal DONE!"
Yet Trump's special envoy has made his way to the Kremlin nonetheless, where he was greeted by an open-armed Putin.
It is the fourth time in the space of three months that Putin and Witkoff have met.
As Witkoff arrived this morning, a senior Russian general was killed in a car bomb in Moscow.
The VW Golf was fitted with a surveillance camera and packed with 500 grams of explosives, according to investigators.
Another bomb killed a top Russian weapons designer some 200 miles away in Bryansk.
The White House's proposed peace plan would let Russia keep most of the Ukrainian territory it has seized so far, has reported.
This includes Crimea, the peninsula that was illegally annexed by Putin back in 2014 - eight years before the full-scale invasion.
But the plans as reported make no reference to security guarantees for Kyiv.
Zelensky remained defiant on Crimea, warning that Ukraine would never accept territorial concessions in any US-brokered deal.
“Our position is unchanged – only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian,” he told reporters.
His remarks followed President Trump’s claim that a peace deal was “pretty close,” as his envoy met with Putin in Moscow.
Speaking to reporters, the US president said: “They’re meeting with Putin right now, as we speak... I think in the end we’re going to end up with a lot of good deals, including tariff deals and trade deals.”
Trump also piled pressure on Kyiv, posting on Truth Social: “Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States. It is at least three weeks late.
"Hopefully, it will be signed IMMEDIATELY. Work on the overall Peace Deal between Russia and Ukraine is going smoothly. SUCCESS seems to be in the future!”
Trump doubled down even further by telling TIME Magazine that "Crimea will stay with Russia" in Washington's peace proposal.
The plans have been widely criticised as being overly favourable to Moscow and offering little assurance to Ukraine.
Lithuania has warned that surrendering Crimea would like "opening hell".
Former British PM Boris Johnson, who has been supportive of Trump in the past, was also among those blasting the proposals.
He posted on social media: "Putin indiscriminately butchers more Ukrainian civilians, killing and injuring 100 in Kyiv, including children.
"And what is his reward under the latest peace proposals?"
The peace plan as reported by The Telegraph would also see Ukraine blocked from joining NATO and US sanctions on Russia lifted.
It comes amid growing friction between the US and Europe about how to end the war.
US Vice President JD Vance has said American could "walk away" if both sides cannot agree on terms.
Britain has thrown its weight behind an alternate plan alongside France and Germany.
It demands "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine "including from the US".
