After his inauguration on January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Vladimir Putin needs to engage in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine. This was reported by "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty."
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump remarked:
He needs to make a deal. I believe he is destroying Russia by refusing to negotiate. I think Russia is going to have significant problems. Most people thought this war would be over in a week. I think it would be very good for him to end this war.
According to Trump, he plans to meet with Putin as soon as negotiations are organized, which he claims are already in preparation, CNN reports. The U.S. President added that he may talk to Putin soon, though he did not specify exact timelines.
Donald Trump also mentioned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed a desire to reach a peace agreement to put an end to the war.
When asked about maintaining anti-Russian sanctions, Trump stated that he "prefers tariffs more."
I believe the term tariffs is better because it preserves the strength of the dollar. I think tariffs are more effective.
During the presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he was ready to end the war within 24 hours of taking office as President of the United States.
On January 20, journalists asked Trump if he could end the war within that timeframe. The U.S. President replied that he still had half a day to achieve this goal. Trump made this statement in Washington around 8:00 PM local time (3:00 AM Kyiv time).
We will try to do this as quickly as possible. You know, the war between Ukraine and Russia should never have started.
According to one of the executive orders already signed by Trump, the U.S. is suspending foreign aid for a period of 90 days. This document specifically affects assistance to Ukraine. It is noted that the U.S. Secretary of State may make exceptions for certain countries.