“Trump also confirmed his intention to speak with Putin in the near future, without specifying a time frame”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“Looks like it,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Jan. 21 when asked if Washington would impose new sanctions on Russia if Putin did not come to the negotiating table.
Trump did not provide details on the possible new measures, which would add to the wide range of sanctions already imposed on Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump also confirmed his intention to speak with Putin in the near future, without specifying a time frame.
“We are talking to [українським лідером Володимиром] Zelensky We are going to talk to President Putin very soon. Let’s see,” said Trump.
The US president said on January 20 that Zelensky told him that he wanted a peace agreement to end the war.
Referring to Putin’s close ally, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump said he urged him during a phone call to help end the war.
“He didn’t do too much for it. He has a lot of… power, just like we have a lot of power. I said: “You have to work it out.” We discussed it,” Trump said.
According to the US president, his team is also considering the possibility of sending additional weapons to Ukraine. During his presidential campaign, Trump strongly opposed the level of aid provided by President Joe Biden’s administration.
However, Trump has said at times that he is open to the idea of a lend-lease program.
In his latest comments, he also reiterated his position that other allies should increase their defense spending on Ukraine, calling on the European Union to “equalize” aid spending to match US aid levels.
For two consecutive days of his new term in the White House, Trump has called on Putin, whom he has often praised, to agree to peace talks.
During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to end the war within 24 hours of taking office. He backed away from those comments in recent weeks, but still promised a swift end to the conflict.
Many analysts say it will be difficult to end the war anytime soon because Putin believes he is winning and has no incentive to stop fighting, even if Russia suffers devastating losses in men and equipment.
The night before, the US president said that Putin was “destroying” Russia by refusing to sign an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. “I think Russia is going to have big problems,” Trump said.
Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Moscow was “taking into account” Trump’s remarks, but declined to elaborate, saying the Kremlin was waiting for “concrete proposals that could become the basis for contacts.”
The other day, the CNN 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.
After the inauguration, US President Donald Trump said that he could talk to Putin in the near future, but did not give specific dates.
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 is a chance to end the war in 2025, as Trump can pressure Russia on this issue.
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.