Russia has expressed its willingness to engage in discussions with the United States regarding the Ukraine issue. On Thursday, January 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed this. Former U.S. President Donald Trump also stated that he wishes to meet Putin as soon as possible.
Before his victory in the November 5 election, Trump repeatedly emphasized that on his first day in office, he would try to broker a deal to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.
However, Trump’s advisers now indicate that resolving the conflict may take several months. Earlier, on Wednesday, January 22, Trump warned Russia that if it failed to end the war, higher tariffs and additional sanctions would be imposed. Following this, Russia announced its willingness to participate in discussions.
On Monday, during the World Economic Forum, Trump said, “I can quickly meet President Putin and end this war. This is not from an economic perspective or any other reason—it’s about the loss of millions of lives… It’s a massacre, and we really need to stop this war.” Trump described the Ukraine-Russia war as a “ridiculous war.”
Trump added, “From what I’ve heard, Putin wants to meet with me, and I will do so as soon as possible.” He further stated, “Every day, soldiers are being killed on the battlefield.” Trump also mentioned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told him he is ready to negotiate a peace deal to end the war.
Although Trump highlighted U.S. efforts for peace negotiations, he did not provide any detailed information. Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
On Thursday, Trump also expressed his intention to work on reducing nuclear weapons. He believes that Russia and China could support efforts to reduce their nuclear capabilities.
Trump stated, “We want to see nuclear disarmament… and let me tell you, Putin genuinely liked the idea of nuclear disarmament. I think the rest of the world should also step forward.”
Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine. He is modernizing Russia’s nuclear forces and has rejected discussions with Washington on replacing the U.S.-Russia arms limitation treaty, New START.