US President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday that Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants to meet him. A meeting is being arranged between the two.
Trump will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20. The Republican leader announced a meeting with Putin just a few days away from being sworn in. During the election campaign, Trump promised to bring peace to Ukraine. Russia has been attacking the country since February 2022.
“He (Putin) wants to have a meeting, and we’re arranging it,” Trump said during a meeting with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. ’
Trump added: “President Putin wants to have a meeting. He even said it publicly. And we must end that war, this is bloodshed. ’
Trump has never made any specific proposals for a ceasefire or peace agreement in Ukraine. However, he has often criticized the huge amount of military aid sent by the United States to Kyiv.
Trump often laughs at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also calls Zelensky a “salesman.” It’s rare for Trump to criticize Putin. Rather, he speaks in praise of the Russian leader.
In addition to criticizing the massive military aid sent to Ukraine by the government led by outgoing US President Joe Biden, Trump has also cast doubt on the continued participation of the United States in the Western military alliance NATO.
During Biden’s tenure, the United States sided with Kyiv in the war in Ukraine. The United States has provided more than $65 billion in military assistance to the country since February 2022.