US President Donald Trump described the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as the most difficult one he has dealt with in efforts to reach a settlement. He attributed the challenge to the intense hostility between the leaders of the two countries and called armed confrontation «a very interesting thing.»

Speaking at a rally in North Carolina, Trump said he had brought eight wars to an end, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict had proven the hardest because of the deep animosity between the two leaders.

Despite the difficulties, the US president said he expected the fighting to end soon. He added that American representatives were working intensively to achieve a settlement.

Trump also linked the conflict in Ukraine to rising diesel prices in the United States. He said the situation was pushing fuel costs higher, while expressing confidence that the problem would soon be resolved.

Earlier, Trump said Kiev had agreed to stop strikes on Russian energy facilities and that Moscow had taken on the same commitment.

The Kremlin responded positively to the US president’s initiative. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such an arrangement would allow Russia to increase petroleum product supplies to the domestic market, although the authorities were capable of stabilizing the situation without it.