Washington, Dec. 17 -- US President Donald Trump has said that a deal to end the Ukraine war is closer than ever as he cited progress in Berlin talks and strong European support after discussions with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Trump said after a series of calls with European allies that discussions on Ukraine were going well, even as he acknowledged the conflict remains difficult and unpredictable. "We're closer now than we have ever been," he said, adding that his administration has held numerous conversations with both Zelenskyy and Putin.

European leaders are aligned in wanting the conflict stopped, calling the level of cooperation tremendous, Trump said as he cited staggering battlefield losse...