Trump Issues Warning: Avoiding World War 3 as Russia-Ukraine War Continues

Trump Warns Russia-Ukraine War Could Escalate Into World War 3.

US President Donald Trump on Friday cautioned that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict could spiral into a global catastrophe if it continues, warning it could “end up in a third world war.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House after signing an executive order on AI regulations, Trump expressed concern over the scale of casualties, noting that 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, died in the past month alone. He urged an immediate halt to the fighting and stressed that the US was working actively to broker a resolution.

“Everybody keeps playing games like this, we’ll end up in a third world war, and we don’t want that,” he said, reiterating his warning.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Trump as “extremely frustrated” with both Moscow and Kyiv over the lack of progress and said the President was seeking concrete results rather than symbolic meetings. She noted that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and his team were in direct talks with both sides, while Trump had held discussions with European leaders.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv submitted a 20-point set of counter-proposals to the US, emphasizing that any territorial compromise would require a national referendum. The proposals reportedly include elements aligning with Moscow’s strategic interests, such as creating a “free economic zone” in parts of Donetsk.

Amid ongoing diplomacy, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could target NATO within five years if Europe does not strengthen its defence production and spending. “Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared,” Rutte said, underscoring the urgency for European allies to bolster security.