President Donald Trump has sent a letter of support to Ukraine praising its courage and saying the United States believes in its future as an independent state, as the country marks the anniversary of declaring itself free of Soviet rule.

"Now is the moment to bring an end to the senseless killing," Trump said in a message published by Zelensky on Sunday.

Trump continues to assure his allies that negotiations remain on track, the official said. However, according to another source, there is growing recognition that the talks — which Trump had publicly predicted would culminate in a trilateral summit within a week — are progressing slowly and “with difficulty.