Donald Trump hints at ‘good news’ coming on the Russia-Ukraine war

US President Donald Trump indicated that a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine could be close at hand Thursday, during a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“The Russia situation, I hope we’re going to have some good news for you coming up,” Mr Trump said at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s weekend residence in Aylesbury, England.

“Millions of people have died in that war, millions of souls ... They’re being killed, and I feel I have an obligation to get it settled for that reason,” said Mr Trump.

The President was speaking alongside Sir Keir at the conclusion of his three-day state visit to the UK, which has been lauded as a great success by both sides.

On Russia — and its President Vladimir Putin — however, the leaders’ comments were somewhat less effusive.

“He’s let me down. He’s really let me down,” Mr Trump said of Mr Putin.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has carried on relentlessly for over three years, and the US President has so far failed to bring it to an end — despite multiple attempts at negotiations.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Mr Trump had claimed he could end the conflict in “one day.”

But he admitted Thursday that he’d been surprised by how difficult the war between Russia and Ukraine had been to resolve.

“I’m very honoured to tell you that we’ve solved seven wars, seven wars, wars that were unsolvable, wars that couldn’t be negotiated or done,” he said.

“The one that I thought would be easiest would be because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down.”

USA Today fact checked the claim and found five ceasefires or peace agreements, though the report noted that not all parties credit the White House for aiding in those resolutions.

‘Special relationship’

In the wide-ranging press conference, Sir Keir hailed what he called the “unique bond” between the UK and US.

“We’ve renewed the special relationship for a new era,” Sir Keir said.

“The United Kingdom, the United States stand together today as first partners on defense, first partners in trade, with the groundbreaking deal we struck in May, and now with a new agreement that we’ve just signed this afternoon, we’re confirming our status as the first partners in science and technology ready to define this century together, just as we did the last.”

Mr Trump echoed the sentiment, describing the bond between the two countries as “like no other anywhere in the world.”

“We’re forever joined, and we are forever friends, and we will always be friends.”

He cited this “enduring connection” as the reason that the UK in May became the first country in the world to sign a trade deal with the US.

With a 10 per cent blanket tariff now applicable to British goods imported into the US, Mr Trump has granted the U.K. one of the most favourable tariff rates in the world.

Business deals galore

The President’s trip has also proved a very lucrative one for the UK. On Thursday, the country’s government announced £150 billion ($307 billion) worth of foreign investment with key agreements across the tech, energy and AI sectors.

The deals would “boost jobs, drive growth and deliver opportunity for working people up and down the country,” the Government said.

Mr Trump and Sir Keir held talks behind closed doors on Thursday, with events moving from Windsor Castle to Chequers for the last day of the President’s state visit.

The leaders and their respective delegations also met business leaders on Thursday at a reception hosted by British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves.

Earlier in the visit, the President and First Lady Melania Trump were the guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle, where they were treated to the best of British pomp and pageantry.

The American guests were welcomed with a royal gun salute, a carriage procession through Windsor and a guard of honor.

At a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday night, Mr Trump told a swathe of guests that included senior royals, top US and British officials and business leaders, that being invited to Britain for an unprecedented second state visit was one of the “highest honours of my life.”

He then raised a few laughs when he joked that he hoped he would be the only President ever to get two state visits.

— CNBC’s Chloe Taylor contributed to this report.