Trump: Russia seeks full control of Ukraine, must make concessions for peace

In a series of interviews with NBC News, President Donald Trump stated that Russia seeks to seize all of Ukraine, not just the territories it currently controls. Trump asserted that for a peace agreement to be reached, Russia would have to abandon its ambitions and relinquish all claims to Ukrainian territory. He emphasized that, without his involvement, Russia would be fighting for the entirety of Ukraine, and claimed that Moscow is dissatisfied with just the regions it holds now. Trump also revealed that European Union leaders had repeatedly asked him to communicate with Vladimir Putin, as the Russian president ignored their calls. Notably, Trump's stance that Russia wants all of Ukraine contrasts with statements from his own Secretary of State, who argued that neither side can fully achieve their military goals. Trump added that the U.S. is currently closer to one side in the ongoing negotiations, though he did not specify which.