US President Donald Trump on Friday compared efforts to bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiation table with the difficulty of mixing “oil and vinegar.”
Speaking at The People’s House Exhibit and later during a press interaction, Trump said he hoped the two leaders could work together to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, which he claimed is costing around 7,000 lives each week, mostly soldiers.
“We’re going to see if Putin and Zelenskyy will be working together. You know, it’s like oil and vinegar a little bit. They don’t get along too well for obvious reasons, but we’ll see,” Trump remarked. “In the meantime, they continue to fight and kill people, which is very stupid because they’re losing 7,000 people a week.”
Trump reiterated his willingness to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv, noting that he had previously helped prevent or end several international conflicts. “I’ve stopped seven wars. I thought this one would be middle of the pack in terms of difficulty, but it’s turning out to be the most difficult,” he said.
However, Trump criticized both Russia and Ukraine for lacking sincerity in negotiations. He added that if Moscow refuses to engage in a genuine peace process, the US would consider secondary sanctions, including tariffs of up to 50% on Russian oil.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated there is currently no agenda for a possible Putin–Zelenskyy summit, though Putin has indicated readiness to meet if a structured framework is in place.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have sought to demonstrate to Washington that they are open to dialogue, though each accuses the other of negotiating in bad faith. Trump, for his part, has maintained that he wants to play a direct role in brokering a peace deal.