Donald Trump has said Russia has “all the cards” in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House, the US president reiterated his desire to get a deal done to end the conflict, which he warned “could lead to World War Three”.
But he said he had found it “more difficult” to deal with Ukraine, and suggested it may be easier to deal with Moscow, because “they have all the cards”.
He was also asked if Vladimir Putin was taking advantage of the decision by the US to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine, following a series of air attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent days.
“I think he’s doing what anyone else would do,” he replied.
However, he said he believed Mr Putin wanted to get the war “stopped and settled”.
“I think both parties want to settle. I think we are going to get it settled,” he added.
Mr Trump also suggested his priorities are in a different order to Ukraine’s – saying he wants the fighting to end before any security guarantees are made.
“Before I even think about that, I want to settle the war, get it finished,” he said.
“As far as the question about security later, that’s the easy part. The hard part is getting it settled.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
