Trump says US may be close to peace deal on Ukraine war

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday the US may be nearing a peace deal on the Ukraine war, citing delicate negotiations as his reason for avoiding new sanctions on Russia. He made the remarks before departing the White House for South Carolina. Trump told reporters that imposing additional economic penalties could derail diplomatic momentum, stating, "We are maybe close to a deal. For the first time in a long time, we're maybe close to a deal." He also downplayed Russia's role regarding Iran, while asserting he retains full authority to enforce sanctions if needed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv is prepared to freeze the conflict along the current front line and pursue security guarantees from the US and Europe. Russian officials have reportedly discussed a potential Trump-Putin meeting at the upcoming APEC summit in China.