Trump says he’s spoken with Putin as Russia’s war in Ukraine approaches third anniversary
President Donald Trump announced in an interview published Saturday that he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump says he’s spoken with Putin as Russia’s war in Ukraine approaches third anniversaryPresident Donald Trump announced in an interview published Saturday that he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN he “can neither deny nor confirm this news.” He added that Washington and Moscow talk “through different channels” the more the Trump administration “is gaining activity.”Trump said in the interview he “better not say” how many times he had spoken with Putin but touted a “good relationship” with his Russian counterpart.
The US president expressed hope that Putin’s war in Ukraine, which is approaching its third anniversary, ends “fast.” He had previously vowed to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office.During the interview, which took place as Trump traveled aboard Air Force One to Florida on Friday, the president directed his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, to “get these meetings going.”“They want to meet. Every day people are dying. Young handsome soldiers are being killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides. All over the battlefield,” he said.On Friday, the president told reporters that he would “probably” meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this upcoming week and hinted that he planned to also talk with Putin.
“I will probably be meeting with President Zelensky next week, and I will probably be talking to President Putin,”“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earths and other things,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, complaining that Europe had not provided Ukraine the same level of aid as the US.
The transactional proposal offers some insight into Trump’s intentions when it comes to the Ukraine war. He has long complained about the US burden in arming Kyiv, but hasn’t detailed his plans for halting or continuing support since taking office.
