U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is ready to withdraw from his efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia if the talks do not produce results. The statement comes just days after his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Trump described as lengthy and direct.

Speaking to CNN, Trump revealed that he had asked Putin bluntly during their two-hour conversation when the war in Ukraine would come to an end. “I said, ‘When are we going to end this bloodshed, this blood bath?’” Trump told the network, emphasizing the urgency of ending the conflict. He added, “It’s a blood bath, and I do believe he wants to end it.”

However, Trump noted that if the negotiations stagnate, he is prepared to step away. “If I see I can’t help, I’ll just back away,” he said. The president hinted at the difficulties ahead, attributing them in part to the personalities involved. “I tell you, big egos involved,” Trump remarked. “But I think something’s going to happen. And if it doesn’t, I just back away and they’re going to have to keep going.”

Asked whether he had raised the possibility of a face-to-face meeting with Putin during their conversation, Trump confirmed he had. “Of course I did. I talked to him about it,” he said, referring to a direct meeting between the two leaders - an idea he has previously floated as necessary to end the war. Trump suggested that a personal meeting with Putin might be the key to progress.

Trump also claimed that “some progress has been made” as a result of the conversation, without offering specifics.

The statement follows Trump’s earlier announcement on May 19 that Ukraine and Russia would begin immediate talks on a ceasefire, following his call with the Russian president. In that call, Putin said Moscow was ready to negotiate a memorandum with Kyiv, which could include a temporary ceasefire if terms are agreed upon. He also noted that communication between the delegations who previously met in Istanbul had resumed.

Prior to his conversation with Putin, Trump also had a brief call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Details of that call remain limited, but it reportedly lasted only several minutes.