US President Donald Trump told CBS News on Wednesday that he remains committed to pursuing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, despite mounting uncertainty over the prospect of face-to-face talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, CBS News reports.

Trump characterized his position as both realistic and optimistic, and said he is closely monitoring how both leaders are handling this crossroads in the negotiations.

"I've been watching it, I've been seeing it, and I've been talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," Trump said in a phone interview. "Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet. But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done."

Trump said he is unhappy with the carnage but will keep pushing for a peace agreement.

"I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said.

Trump also told CBS News on Wednesday that his approach to many diplomatic negotiations, be it with Russia and Ukraine or with other warring nations, is to bring together key leaders into a room and have them broker an agreement in real time.

That approach, he said, demands patience, even when a quick resolution is sought, but he believes it has paid off in other peace agreements this year.

"We've had some very good days, fortunately, and once I get them in a room together, or get them at least speaking together, they seem to work out. We've saved millions of lives."

Beyond the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump has claimed in recent weeks that he should be credited for ending six or seven wars during this term and that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. White House officials have pointed to a list of seven conflicts the president is referencing: Israel and Iran, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.

Trump told CBS News that he is not seeking the Nobel Peace Prize. The recipient of the 2025 prize is expected to be announced next month.

"I have nothing to say about it," the US president said. "All I can do is put out wars." He added, "I don't seek attention. I just want to save lives."