President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, May 9, that he is prepared to send a US delegation to Moscow as part of an intensified push to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters near the White House, Trump was asked if he would consider sending negotiators directly to the Russian capital. “Well, I would do that. I would very much like to see this war ended,” Trump replied.
While the President did not provide a specific timeline or the composition of such a delegation, the remark signals a potential shift toward direct high-level engagement with the Kremlin.
The human cost
Trump emphasized the humanitarian urgency of ending the conflict, citing alarming casualty figures that he described as the worst since World War II.
“I would very much like to see the end of the conflict... where 25,000 young soldiers died last month,” Trump said. He added that the average monthly death toll is currently hovering between 25,000 and 30,000 troops. “It’s madness,” he stated in related remarks released by the State Department.
Ceasefire and prisoner exchange
The President’s comments coincide with a fragile three-day ceasefire (May 9–11) brokered by the United States. Ukraine officially agreed not to disrupt Russia’s May 9 parade in Moscow as part of the arrangement.
A mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war from each side was scheduled to take place during the pause.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the ceasefire and exchange plans, noting that the return of Ukrainian prisoners remains a top priority.
Reviving stalled diplomacy
Zelensky stated on Friday that he expects a visit from US envoys to Kyiv in the coming weeks – likely “at the turn of spring-summer” – to reactivate a diplomatic track that had slowed due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Recent discussions between Ukrainian lead negotiator Rustem Umerov and US officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have focused on a 20-point framework for peace. However, key sticking points remain, including control over the Donbas region and the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Trump’s latest signal regarding a Moscow mission suggests Washington may be looking to break this deadlock by engaging both capitals simultaneously.