U.S. President-Elect Trump Says Putin Expressed Interest in Meeting on Ukraine War
President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his interest in meeting with him regarding the war in Ukraine. Trump made the comments during his remarks at Turning Point’s America Fest convention in Palm Beach, Florida.
According to Trump, President Putin has requested a meeting as soon as possible, and Trump believes that the war is “horrible, horrible.” Trump has previously stated that he could end the war “in 24 hours” if elected, and has also recently criticized the policy change by President Joe Biden that allows Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russian territory.
Trump has also suggested that Ukraine may receive less military aid once he takes office. Ukraine is heavily reliant on its international partners for military, financial, and humanitarian aid to continue functioning as a state and fighting Russia after almost three years of war.
Trump’s comments came as he highlighted the devastating effects of the war, saying, “The number of soldiers being killed… It’s a flat plane, and the bullets are going and there’s powerful bullets, powerful guns, and the only thing that’s going to stop them is a human body.” He also called for an “immediate ceasefire” following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month.