'Two people that hate each other': Trump names leaders at center of peace deal holdup

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said the effort to end the Ukraine war is stalled because Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “hate each other.”

Trump said both leaders are “tired of fighting” as Russia and Ukraine continue trading strikes despite diplomatic efforts.

He made the remarks on Wednesday, September 9, at Joint Base Andrews after speaking with reporters before traveling to the Republican National Convention in Dallas.

Trump blames personal animosity for the delay

Trump said his conversation with Putin was productive and suggested the Russian president was open to an agreement, but he pointed to the relationship between Putin and Zelenskyy as the central obstacle, as per a CNBC report on Wednesday.

“We had a great conversation. He is wanting to make a deal,” Trump told reporters. “The holdup is two people that hate each other.”

Trump added that he believed the two leaders were “tired of fighting,” saying his view was based on his experience speaking with people and negotiating deals.

“I know about deals, and these are two people that are tired of fighting,” Trump said. “We had a good conversation. It could happen.”

The comments came after Trump and Putin spoke for exactly one hour on Tuesday, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who described the call as “constructive and very candid.”

The Kremlin said Trump made clear he wanted the war to end “as soon as possible,” while Putin provided what Ushakov called an “objective and thorough” analysis of Russia’s military operation, the outlet reported.

President Trump links peace to restored US-Russia ties

According to the Kremlin readout, Trump also told Putin that ending the war quickly could create prospects for restoring broader relations between the United States and Russia, the report said.

Ushakov said a swift end to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine “would immediately open up impressive and far-reaching prospects for relations between the US and Russia to be fully restored.”

Trump and Putin also discussed recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have sought to revive diplomatic talks aimed at ending the conflict, the outlet reported.

Putin, according to Ushakov, also shared his view of what the United States could do to help quickly end military operations and dismissed speculation about a Russian threat to European nations. 

The conversation was described as the fifth call between Trump and Putin this year and the 15th between the two leaders since Trump took office in early 2025, according to Russia’s Tass news agency calculations.

Russia and Ukraine continue trading strikes

The diplomatic discussion came as fighting continued. 

Russia has resumed air attacks on major Ukrainian cities after a brief pause during the visit of US peace negotiators over the weekend.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday there had been “too little response” from the international community to the latest deadly strikes.

Ukraine has also been seeking additional support from allies as it faces a shortage of air defense equipment. 

Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned about the coming winter and called for urgently needed interceptor missiles.

Russian forces have increased missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as Kyiv faces those air defense shortages, as per the report.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has pursued long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and logistics hubs.

Trump also pointed to the human cost of the conflict when asked about the delay in reaching an agreement.

“Too many people are dying in that war,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “25,000 last month.”