US President-elect Donald Trump has revealed plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after his inauguration on January 20. In an interview with Newsmax, Trump stated that resolving the Ukraine conflict will be a priority, emphasizing that the outcome largely depends on Putin.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“I know he [Putin] wants to meet, and I’m going to meet very quickly,” Trump said, explaining that the meeting was delayed only due to the transition into office. During his campaign, Trump promised to end the conflict and halt US financial aid to Kiev, claiming he could achieve peace “in 24 hours” with a few phone calls.
Since his election, however, Trump has tempered expectations, acknowledging that a resolution might take months. He criticized outgoing President Joe Biden for mishandling the crisis, calling it “gross incompetence” that led to devastating consequences for both Ukraine and Russia.
Biden defended his administration’s approach, stating, “Ukraine is still a free, independent country,” and highlighting efforts to avoid direct conflict between nuclear powers.
The Kremlin welcomed Trump’s intention to engage, but stressed that resolving the conflict requires addressing underlying issues, such as NATO’s expansion and alleged discrimination against ethnic Russians in Ukraine. Moscow has accused the Biden administration of provoking tensions to justify a proxy war.
