President Donald Trump called for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Trump estimated that 850,000 Russian soldiers and 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the start of the war, describing it as a humanitarian crisis. “These are human beings that are just being slaughtered on this battlefield by the millions,” he said.
Trump blamed Putin for starting the war and claimed that his predecessor, President Joe Biden, allowed it to happen by failing to address Russian energy policies that made Putin richer. Trump threatened Putin, stating that if Russia doesn’t settle the conflict soon, he would impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on Russian goods.
Trump also said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told him that he’s ready to negotiate an end to the war and that Zelenskyy has been fighting a much larger and more powerful entity. Trump claimed that Zelenskyy could have made a deal with him earlier, but decided to fight instead.
The situation has been met with resistance, as Russian President Putin has indicated that he will not tolerate Ukraine joining NATO or allowing NATO troops on Ukrainian soil. However, Putin has expressed a willingness to discuss a peace plan, potentially freezing the conflict along the current lines.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Ret. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, has stated that he would like to see the war come to an end within 100 days of Trump taking office.