US President Donald Trump on June 5 compared Russia's war against Ukraine to children fighting in comments during a visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, telling reporters at the White House that “sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while.

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Thursday that it might be better to let Russia and Ukraine keep on fighting for a while despite German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's call for more US pressure on Russia.

But halting progress, ever-more deadly drone attacks and unmoving negotiating positions seem to have taken their toll. On Thursday, Trump used a striking analogy to concede the warfare was nowhere near over, and that he did not, at that moment, feel it was best to intervene.