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At the NATO Summit on July 8, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the ongoing war with Russia. During their joint remarks, Trump used a striking analogy to describe the conflict.
"You have two kids in a park and they don't like each other and they start fighting. Sometimes you have to let them fight," Trump said, adding, "Let them see that it's tough. Fighting is tough."
Trump emphasized that peace talks have been "in the works for a long time," noting there are both "pluses and minuses" to the negotiations.
He praised Zelenskyy's leadership, calling him "amazing," and highlighted Ukraine's use of U.S. military equipment: "Ukraine got the best equipment because it got our equipment. But someone has to know how to use it. And you have very brave people who do that."
Zelenskyy confirmed that discussions included air defense, drone deals, and broader peace efforts. Trump suggested both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin want to reach a settlement: "The president [Zelenskyy] wants to get it done, and I believe President Putin wants to get it done, so that should be a good combination."
The war between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and escalated in February 2022 with Russia's full-scale invasion. Now more than 12 years on, the conflict remains unresolved.
Trump acknowledged the difficulty of ending it, saying, "We've settled a lot of wars. And this one, I thought, was going to be maybe the easiest. But Putin is a tough guy, and this guy [Zelenskyy] is a tough guy too."
While Trump described Russia as a "great country" and a "great power," he also stressed Ukraine's potential for rebuilding after the war: "Ukraine has a lot of future. It has great land, resources, and people. I think he will build a great country."
