“Putin also congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as US president”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“We are also open to dialogue with the new US administration regarding the Ukrainian conflict (Russia’s war against Ukraine – ed.). The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, which we have talked about many times. This is the most important thing,” Putin said.
He added that any settlement should ensure “a durable peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all the peoples living in this region.”
Putin also congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as US president and said that Russia hopes to build a dialogue with the US “on an equal and mutually respectful basis”.
The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump takes place on January 20 in Washington.
The day before, the CNN TV channel, citing sources, reported that Trump instructed his aides to arrange a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. According to them, the newly elected US president wants to talk to the president of the Russian Federation in the first days after the inauguration to discuss a personal meeting. It is claimed that Trump is expected to quickly start work on the settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to Trump’s future national security adviser, Mike Waltz, he is expected to speak with Putin in the coming days or weeks.
During the election campaign, Donald Trump stated that he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. However, at a press conference on January 7, he said he hoped to end hostilities within six months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi previously said that Trump could play a decisive role in ending the war with Russia and help stop Putin.
On January 16, Zelensky said there was a chance to end the war in 2025, as US President-elect Donald Trump could pressure Russia on the issue.
“Trump can force. We must agree with Trump that there are specific security guarantees for Ukraine and he must force Putin to engage in diplomacy and end this war. But Trump, I believe, is capable and, God willing, he will be able to do it – to offer Ukraine real security guarantees,” the president of Ukraine believes.
Analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) proved that the Kremlin does not want to make compromises in the war against Ukraine, but wants its complete surrender.