Former President Donald Trump stated that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to reach an agreement to conclude the war in Ukraine. This assertion comes as Russia issued a warning that Western troops deployed to enforce any potential peace deal would be considered legitimate Russian military targets.
"I say, ‘Vladimir, it’s time for you to stop. It’s time for this war to end,’" Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst in an interview released Tuesday. Trump added that he believes Putin "is ready to make a deal" to end the fighting.
Meanwhile, conflict persists across Ukraine and Russian-occupied territories. Both militaries are reportedly seeking enhanced methods to intercept drones, utilizing weaponry designed decades before modern unmanned aircraft. Video obtained by East2West shows troops testing a Soviet-era YakB-12.7 machine gun, originally designed for helicopters, mounted on an improvised ground platform. The weapon began spinning uncontrollably, throwing a soldier several yards from the mount. East2West reported no injuries, though the circumstances of the footage have not been independently verified by Fox News Digital.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated Wednesday that Moscow would not accept any multinational force deployed by Ukraine’s allies following a ceasefire. "We would regard such units as legitimate military targets," Zakharova said, according to a Reuters report.
This warning follows a meeting in Paris this week where members of a Western "coalition of the willing" reaffirmed their intention to deploy a multinational force after hostilities cease, aiming to reassure Ukraine and aid in rebuilding its military.
In other developments, Ukraine’s military reported striking the Balaklava thermal power station in Russian-occupied Crimea, a facility that generates nearly half of the peninsula's electricity. Russia, conversely, launched a significant drone and missile attack against Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, resulting in three fatalities, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper. Civilian, industrial, and port infrastructure were reportedly targeted during five consecutive days of Russian assaults.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine anticipates developing the capability to manufacture missiles for U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems by the end of 2026.