Trump believes Putin may be "dragging their feet" in peace deal talks

US President Donald Trump has said that Russia and Russian leader Vladimir Putin may be "dragging their feet" on a peace deal with Ukraine.

"I don't know. I mean, I'll let you know at a certain point. But I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they're dragging their feet," Trump said in an interview with Newsmax.

Trump added that he himself had done the same for many years in business.

"I've done it over the years, you know; I don't want to sign a contract, I want to sort of stay in the game, but maybe I don't want to do it, quite… I'm not sure. But no, I think Russia would like to see it end, and I think [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy would like to see it end at this point," he said.

Trump noted that both sides are losing an average of 2,500 soldiers killed and wounded per week.

According to Russian propaganda media outlets, the meeting between the US and Russian delegations lasted 12 hours with breaks.

The Kremlin stated that the primary focus of the discussions with the US delegation in Saudi Arabia was the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, from which Russia withdrew in 2023.

On Tuesday 25 March, a new meeting between the Ukrainian and American teams took place in Saudi Arabia to discuss the truce between Kyiv and Moscow.

Following negotiations in Saudi Arabia from 23 to 25 March, delegations from the US, Ukraine and Russia agreed to work towards a truce in the Black Sea and a ban on strikes against energy infrastructure.

US President Donald Trump suggested that Putin and the Russians might be "dragging their feet" on the issue of a truce agreement with Ukraine.