US President Donald Trump has revealed that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, asserting that the conflict “never would have happened” had he been in office in 2022.
In an interview with The New York Post aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump stated that Putin “does care” about the loss of lives on the battlefield. “He wants to see people stop dying. All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason,” he said.
While declining to specify how many times he has spoken to the Russian leader, Trump insisted that he always maintained a strong relationship with Putin, unlike his predecessor. “Biden was an embarrassment to our nation. A complete embarrassment,” he remarked.
Trump, who has frequently claimed he has a concrete plan to swiftly end the war, directed his National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to begin negotiations. “Let’s get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying. Young handsome soldiers are being killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides. All over the battlefield,” he said.
Putin has recently signaled a willingness to engage in direct talks to end the nearly three-year conflict. However, he has ruled out negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he deems “illegitimate” as his tenure has expired.
Trump had previously claimed that American and Russian officials are “already talking” about a resolution. His administration is ramping up diplomatic efforts, with Vice President JD Vance scheduled to meet Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference next week.
Trump has, meanwhile, proposed a $500 million deal with Ukraine that would grant the US access to the country’s rare-earth minerals and gas reserves in exchange for security guarantees in a peace settlement. In response, Zelenskyy has expressed openness to a mineral partnership with the US.
“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelenskyy had earlier told Reuters, stressing that Ukraine requires security assurances from its allies as part of any agreement. He noted that less than 20 percent of Ukraine’s mineral resources, including around half of its rare-earth deposits, remain under Russian occupation.
“We need to stop Putin and protect what we have – a very rich Dnipro region, central Ukraine,” he added.
Despite Putin’s refusal to negotiate with him directly, Zelenskyy stated he is open to talks if they will bring an end to the war. “I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too,” he said in an interview with Piers Morgan on Tuesday.
As the conflict rages on, Trump maintains that his administration’s diplomatic approach will swiftly bring an end to the war. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing,” he asserted.
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