The newly elected U.S. President, Donald Trump, stated on Thursday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants to meet with him, and preparations are underway for a meeting between the two.
Trump is set to take the oath of office as President on January 20. With just a few days left before his inauguration, the Republican leader announced plans to organize a meeting with Putin. During his campaign, Trump had promised to work towards establishing peace in Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia since February 2022.
Yesterday, at a meeting with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said, “He (Putin) wants to meet, and we are arranging it.”
Trump further stated, “President Putin wants to meet. He has even said so publicly. And we will certainly end that war, it’s a bloodbath.”
Trump has never made any specific proposals for a ceasefire or peace agreement in Ukraine. However, he frequently criticizes the vast amount of military aid the United States has sent to Kyiv.
Trump often mocks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, sometimes referring to him as a “salesman.” Criticizing Putin is a rare occurrence for Trump; instead, he tends to speak about the Russian leader in a positive tone.
While criticizing the enormous military aid sent to Ukraine by the outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, Trump has also expressed doubts about the continued U.S. involvement in the Western military alliance, NATO.
During Biden’s presidency, the United States has supported Ukraine in its war against Russia. Since February 2022, the U.S. has provided more than $65 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
