US President Donald Trump said he still believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine soon, despite continued attacks and some indications Russia was likely to escalate the conflict.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, “I think he's ready to make a deal,” Trump said in a Fox News interview when asked about his conversations with Putin. The interview was taped on Tuesday and aired on Wednesday.

Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin is rejecting calls to negotiate peace with Kyiv and was likely to escalate the conflict, now in its fifth year.

Trump had promised to have a deal to the war, now in its fifth year, on the first day of his presidency in January 2025.