The Trump administration is "wholeheartedly committed" to a peace deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
"I myself just spoke to the president about these calls, and he told me to tell all of you they were very good calls," Leavitt told reporters after President Donald Trump held separate telephone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"They were very positive, and the administration is wholeheartedly committed to a peace deal to end once and for all the Russia-Ukraine war," she said.
In his statement after call with Putin, Trump said he assigned Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Witkoff to lead the negotiations to end the war.
Asked whyKeith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, was absent from the list, Leavitt said Kellogg remains a "critical part" of the team, adding: "He's played a tremendous role in getting the negotiations to this point, and he's very much still part of the Trump administration."
The calls came after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the Ukraine-Russia war "must end", adding that the US doesn' believe NATO membership for Ukraine is a "realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement".
Asked about a potential visit between Washington and Moscow, Leavitt said she doesn't have any decisions to make on the President's potential visit to Russia or any in person meeting at this time.
Asked if Trump views Putin as an ally or adversary, Leavitt said: "I believe this nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times, an adversary, but as the President has said, as well, he enjoys having good diplomatic relationships with leaders around the world, finding that common ground, also calling them out when they are wrong, and leading from a position of peace through strength."
