“Trump emphasized that he wants to see negotiations because “Russia is losing a lot of young people, and so is Ukraine.””, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
The president-elect, speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, did not say whether or how soon he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said such a meeting would not be appropriate before he takes office on 20 January
“I can’t tell you this, but I know Putin would like to meet,” Trump said.
At the end of December, Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov stated that there were no prerequisites for a meeting between the presidents of the United States and Russia.
During the election campaign, the newly elected president said that he could end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours after taking office. Trump said at a press conference that he hopes to end hostilities within six months.
Trump’s return to the White House brings with it uncertainty about what impact it will have on the nearly three-year-old war and potential negotiations. But Trump said he was determined to “fix it,” adding that it was “hard.”
Ukrainian officials are concerned that any hastily arranged talks could allow Russia to hold on to Ukrainian territory it has seized and give Russian forces time to rebuild and reorganize.
Ukrainians also want to encourage Trump to continue US military support for Kyiv. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga confirmed on January 7 that the trip to Ukraine by Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has been postponed.
Ambassador Kellogg was assigned to negotiate an end to the war. He said potential ceasefire talks could begin when Trump takes office, and in a December Fox News interview suggested the war could be “ended within the next few months.”