Trump raises prospect of 'big, beautiful' Russia-Ukraine deal

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a "very big" deal is in the works with Russia to end the Ukraine war.

Trump made the comments after he had an unscheduled meeting with Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House.

What did Trump say?

Speaking to ​reporters later, the president said the Russia-Ukraine war was ​very close to being settled and that bringing it to an end might involve "all of Europe."

"I can't tell you what I discussed. But I'm just telling you, it's going to be an agreement, it's going to be a big agreement," Trump said in the Oval Office.

"It's going to be very big. It's going to involve more than Ukraine, and I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It's going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone's going to be thrilled."

Trump said he had not met with Ukrainian officials who were also at the White House on Thursday.

Trump weakened: Is Europe safer now?

Meanwhile, Trump's son-in-law and US envoy Jared Kushner said the United States, NATO, ⁠and European ⁠partners held ​"productive and substantive ​discussions" on resolving ​the war in Ukraine Thursday.

"Our objective is to address the security concerns of all sides through practical, mutually agreed arrangements that reduce the risk of future conflict," he wrote on X, ​ahead of ⁠discussions ​next ​week in ​Abu Dhabi involving Kyiv and ​Moscow.

Ukraine, Russia praise Melania Trump for brokering Oleshky truce

Delegations from both Russia and Ukraine were at the White House on Thursday for an event honoring First Lady Melania Trump's work brokering a recent ceasefire in the war-ravaged city of Oleshky.

Speaking at her invitation, Russian envoy Dmitriev thanked the first lady for her "distinguished humanitarian role" in securing the six-day truce.

Dmitriev added that Putin personally gave instructions as part of the operation and sent his thanks to Melania Trump.

The head of the parliamentary faction of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's party, Davyd Arakhamia, and Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, also spoke at the event.

Arakhamia told the first lady she did an "amazing job" and encouraged her to keep helping the Ukrainian people.

"Definitely we would like to ask you to keep going and to find new missions and to de-escalate more as much as possible," Arakhamia said.

Oleshky evacuees recount survival under occupation