Trump Warns Russia-Ukraine Conflict Could Escalate to World War III: Urges Immediate Peace Negotiations

United States President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine could potentially escalate into a "third world war." During a press briefing at the White House, Trump revealed the devastating toll of the war, stating that approximately 25,000 people, predominantly soldiers, lost their lives in the previous month alone.

Expressing his profound frustration over the continuing bloodshed, Trump emphasized his desire for an immediate cessation of hostilities. "I'd like to see the killing stop...for the most part, 25,000 soldiers died last month. I would love to see it stop. And we're working very hard," he stated.

The President further cautioned, "Things like this end up in third-world wars. And I said that the other day. I said, Everybody keeps playing games like this. We will end up in a third world war, and we don't want to see that happen."

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has noted that the United States is advocating for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from certain areas.

As both Russia and Ukraine maintain their positions without compromise, Trump, who previously claimed he could end the war within hours, appears increasingly frustrated while observing the situation from a distance.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the President's sentiment, stating that Trump is "extremely frustrated" with both Moscow and Kyiv regarding the slow progress toward achieving a truce. She noted that he is unwilling to participate in "meetings just for the sake of meeting."

Leavitt elaborated that the President is "tired of meetings that achieve nothing" and desires concrete results rather than mere discussions, as the United States continues to function as the primary mediator in efforts to end the four-year conflict.

"The president is extremely frustrated with both sides of this war. He's sick of meetings just for the sake of meeting. He doesn't want any more talk. He wants action. He wants this war to come to an end," she stated.

Leavitt also confirmed that the Trump administration remains actively engaged in peace negotiations, with Trump holding discussions with European leaders on Wednesday and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's team continuing direct talks with both parties "literally as we speak."

President Trump has indicated that the United States would be willing to provide assistance to Ukraine as part of a security agreement aimed at ending the conflict with Russia. However, he expressed disappointment that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had not more readily accepted an American peace proposal, adding pressure on officials in Kyiv who had previously rejected a US proposal they viewed as too favorable to Moscow.

These comments followed Zelensky's suggestion of potentially allowing Ukrainians to vote on whether to cede the Donbas region to Russia. The Kremlin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from these eastern territories, which include parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the Russian military has been unable to fully capture during its nearly four-year invasion.

Meanwhile, under Trump's administration, the US has significantly reduced direct military aid to Ukraine, instead promoting a system where other NATO allies would purchase American armaments for Kyiv.