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Zelenskiy jet 'almost hit,' Trump says Putin wants deal

Norway's prime minister says President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's plane "was almost hit by a ‌drone". (AP PHOTO)

A plane carrying Ukrainian President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Oslo for the funeral of the king ‌of Norway was "almost hit" by a drone ‌when taking off from Moldova, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has told public broadcaster NRK.

"His plane was almost hit by a ‌drone as ‌it ⁠was about to take off from Moldova. ​That is the reality he is facing," Stoere said.

Stoere did not say what his source was for this information or how close the drone was.

Zelenskiy on ⁠Wednesday attended the ‌funeral ​of King Harald V of Norway, marching behind ​his coffin along ‌with other heads of state in central Oslo. ​

He left Norway soon after the funeral was over.

Stoere had said in a statement ​on ​Tuesday that he ​would meet the Ukrainian leader that ‌evening, with their discussions to focus on Ukraine's air defence.

Vladimir Putin
US President Donald Trump says he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a Ukraine deal. (AP PHOTO)

Zelenskiy had said there would also be discussions with companies taking part in the Freyja ​initiative to create a European anti-ballistic system while ​he was ⁠in Norway.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he had a "great" conversation ‌with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week and that the ‌Russian leader wanted to make a deal to end the Ukraine war.

"He is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelenskiy is wanting to make a deal, that'd be very nice," ‌Trump told ‌reporters ⁠before boarding Air Force One en route to Dallas ​for the Republican National Convention.

Trump spoke over the phone with Putin on Tuesday, shortly after US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned from a diplomatic swing through Moscow and Kyiv.

⁠The duo, who are in ‌charge ​of most major peace negotiations for the US, discussed potential proposals ​to bring the ‌war to a close.

Last month Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe ​met with intelligence officials in Moscow, in part to encourage Russian officials to end their invasion.

Despite those efforts ​and ​Trump's statements, intelligence officials in ​the US, Ukraine and throughout Europe ‌continue to doubt Putin is seriously interested in ending his ongoing war, now in its fourth year.

"The hold-up is two people who hate each other," Trump told reporters, referring to Putin and Zelenskiy.

"I ​think more than anything else, it's two people that ​hate each other."

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