President Trump said only a few “points of disagreement” remain on a potential deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and expressed optimism a pact is near, even after a new deadly Russian attack.
A barrage of Russian drones and missiles struck Ukraine overnight, killing seven people and wounding at least 20. Hours after the attack, Trump told reporters, “I think we’re getting very close to a deal. We’ll find out.”
A U.S. official told CBS News that Ukraine has agreed to a peace deal. Ukraine’s Security Council head, however, said negotiators had reached only a “common understanding on the core terms of the agreement” discussed over the weekend. It was unclear how that understanding differs from a previously circulated U.S.-authored 28-point plan that sparked bipartisan criticism for requiring significant Ukrainian concessions — including ceding territory, reducing its military, and abandoning NATO aspirations — and prompted senior Democrats to urge the president to stop promoting what they called a one-sided, pro-Russian settlement.
Critics have also questioned whether the United States is applying enough pressure on Russia. A senior Democratic lawmaker told CBS News he did not expect a deal to be likely “because Trump’s not putting any pressure on Russia,” arguing that stronger pressure would be needed to move Russia toward a more acceptable position.
U.S. shuttle diplomacy continued this week. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi while Trump directed negotiator Steve Witkoff to travel to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin as Driscoll meets with Ukrainian officials. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Moscow that they had not received an updated version of the plan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted any final agreement must include security guarantees to prevent future invasions and said he is “ready to meet with President Trump,” noting there are sensitive points that need discussion. Depending on progress in talks, Trump suggested Zelenskyy could soon travel to the United States to meet with him.
Report from Weijia Jiang, CBS News.