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Trump has repeatedly emphasised that the war would have never taken place if he was President and vowed to bring a quick end to fighting. Russia and Ukraine have also signalled willingness for talks.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP File Image)
US President Donald Trump said he has spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the phone to try and negotiate an end to the Ukraine war, adding that Putin “does care” about the killing on the battlefield.
“He wants to see people stop dying,” Trump told the New York Post in an exclusive interview aboard the Air Force One. “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason.”
Earlier, Putin had signalled willingness to direct talks with Ukraine to end nearly three years of fighting. However, he ruled out speaking directly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him “illegitimate” as his tenure had passed. Trump earlier said American and Russian officials were “already talking” about ending the war.
Trump again asserted that the war “never would have happened” if he had been president in 2022, a statement supported by Putin as well. “I always had a good relationship with Putin,” he said. “(Former President Joe) Biden was an embarrassment to our nation. A complete embarrassment.”
He was accompanied by his National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, whom he instructed to begin meetings to try and end the war. Vice President JD Vance is set to meet Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference next week.
The US President said he had a concrete plan to end the war. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing,” he further said.
Trump’s Deal With Ukraine
Trump has said he wants to strike a $500 million deal with Zelenskyy to access rare-earth minerals and gas in Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees in any potential peace settlement.
This prompted the Ukrainian President to offer a mineral partnership to the US. “If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” he told Reuters, emphasising Ukraine’s need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement.
Zelenskyy said less than 20% of Ukraine’s mineral resources, including about half its rare earth deposits, were under Russian occupation. “We need to stop Putin and protect what we have – a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine,” he said.
Zelenskyy said he would agree to direct talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to end almost three years of war, as Trump continues efforts to bring a quick end to the fighting. “I will not be kind to him (Putin), I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too,” said the Ukrainian leader in an interview with Piers Morgan on Tuesday.
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
