WASHINGTON, May 5. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin's decision to announce a ceasefire in Ukraine for the days of celebrating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe in May.
"I think we've come a long way, and it could be something will happen," he told reporters when asked about a settlement in Ukraine. "Hopefully it will."
"As you know, President Putin just announced a three-day ceasefire, which doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot, if you knew where we started from," Trump went on to say.
"I think we're in a good position to settle. They [Russia] want to settle. Ukraine wants to settle. If I weren't president, nobody would be settling," the US president said.
He took a jab at his predecessor Joe Biden.
"We had a president that for three years didn't speak to Putin, and it all shouldn't have happened," Trump said. "This is a war that should have never happened, and you're going to be very disappointed when you find out the real number of people that were killed."
"It's a very, very deadly, horrible war," he continued.
The ceasefire that Putin announced for Victory in Europe Day will last from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11. According to the Kremlin, all hostilities will be halted for the period. Vladimir Zelensky rejected the proposal, demanding a longer pause and on his own terms, and threatened the celebrations in Moscow.