US President-elect Donald Trump stated on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed a desire to meet, and plans for a meeting between them are in progress.
This announcement comes just a week and a half before Trump assumes office, after his campaign promises to facilitate peace in Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian invasion since February 2022.
“He wants to meet, and we’re working on it,” Trump mentioned during a gathering with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. “President Putin has publicly indicated his desire to meet, and we need to resolve that war; it’s a devastating situation.”
Although Trump has not put forth specific proposals for a ceasefire or peace agreement, he has frequently criticized the substantial military aid the U.S. has provided to Ukraine. Additionally, Trump has often derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “salesman” and has drawn attention in Washington for his reluctance to criticize Putin, occasionally expressing admiration for the Russian leader.
Besides questioning the extensive military support supplied to Ukraine under President Joe Biden, Trump has also expressed skepticism about the U.S. continuing its involvement in the Western military alliance NATO.
Since February 2022, the United States, under Biden’s administration, has been Ukraine’s primary supporter during the war, offering over $65 billion in military assistance.
