US President Donald Trump has said that he is ready to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin anytime in order to discuss a diplomatic settlement to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
During a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, Trump repeated his earlier claim that if he had been president in 2022, the Ukraine crisis “would have never happened.”
“Russia never would have gone into Ukraine. I had a very strong understanding with Putin,” he stressed.
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Trump described the Russian leader as “smart” and insisted that Putin launched the military operation in the neighboring country only because “he disrespected [then-US President Joe] Biden.”
The US head of state again insisted he is now interested in swiftly finding a way to stop the Ukraine conflict, saying: “I would like to see that end.”
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky “would like to have peace. He has told me that very strongly… but it takes two to tango,” Trump explained.
When asked about when he is going to hold face-to-face talks with Putin, he replied by saying: “Anytime they want – I will meet.”
“We are talking to Zelensky. We are going to be talking with President Putin very soon and we will see how it all happens,” the US president stressed.
Trump also said that Washington would “likely” slap additional sanctions on Moscow if the Kremlin refuses to engage in peace talks, and that his administration would “look into” the possibility of providing more weapons to Ukraine.
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During a Russian National Security Council meeting on Monday, Putin commended Trump’s intention to resume contacts between Russia and the US, which had been halted by the Biden administration. However, he stressed that dialogue can only happen on an “equal and mutually respectful basis.”
The Russian authorities have noted Trump’s statements about Washington’s desire to restore communication links and “about the need to do everything to prevent World War Three,” Putin stressed. “Of course, we welcome such an attitude and congratulate the elected US president on taking office,” he added.