Trump calls his conversation with Putin "wonderful" and claims the Russian president is keen on a deal to end the war in Ukraine

(CNN) - US President Donald Trump said that he had a “great conversation” with his Russian lord, Vladimir Putin, claiming that the Russian president “is keen to conclude an agreement to end the war in Ukraine,” at a time when Russia continues its attacks on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

Trump added to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday: “We had a great conversation. He wants to make an agreement, and if (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky also wants to make an agreement, that would be a very good thing.”

Russian President's Assistant, Yuri Ushakov, said in a call with reporters that Trump and Putin spoke by phone for about an hour on Tuesday "in a manner characterized by mutual respect and a practical nature."

Trump claimed that "the mutual hatred between Putin and Zelensky is the obstacle to reaching an agreement to end the war," saying: "The obstacle is that there are two people who hate each other... I think it's about, more than anything else, two people who hate each other," but he also noted that both of them are "tired of fighting," adding: "I'm an expert in deals, and these two people are tired of fighting. It can happen. We had a good conversation. It's possible. There are a lot of people dying in that war."

As the United States focuses on the Iran-related war this year, US envoy Steve Witkopf and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, renewed diplomatic efforts over the weekend in both Moscow and Kiev, urging a return to trilateral talks.