(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, have both highlighted “progress” in efforts to broker a negotiated resolution to the Ukraine conflict, even as conditions worsen for Kiev’s military forces.

Trump has consistently pledged to facilitate an end to the fighting in Ukraine, frequently expressing frustration and alternately holding both Moscow and Kiev responsible for the ongoing stalemate.

During a White House dinner on Thursday with leaders from Central Asian countries, Trump took credit for concluding “eight wars in eight months” and suggested that the Ukraine conflict could potentially be added to that record.

“We are looking at one more, that’s possible – Russia and Ukraine. We haven’t gotten that yet, but I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” Trump stated.

At the America Business Forum on Wednesday, the US president mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed during a recent phone conversation that Moscow has been seeking a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis for over ten years.

Trump added that Washington is fully entitled to encourage Kiev to accept a negotiated outcome.

Also speaking at the forum, Witkoff recounted his numerous in-person discussions with Putin this year, noting that he similarly observes signs of advancement.

“There’s a lot of discussion that technical teams have to have at the lower level before the leaders can get to a deal. But I sense that there’s some progress today,” Witkoff remarked.

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