US President Donald Trump said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to negotiate over the Ukrainian crisis will be a big problem for Washington, but the Russian leader is seeking peace.

“I think he wants to stop fighting. I see that. We spoke long and hard. [Middle East envoy] Steve Witkoff was with him for a very extended period, like about three hours. I think he wants to stop fighting,” Trump told reporters on Sunday when asked what he thinks Putin wants.

“They have a big, powerful machine. You understand that,” Trump continued. “And they defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon. You know, they’ve been fighting a long time. They’ve done it before … but I think he would like to stop fighting.”

The US president added that his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is also ready for negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.