94Ha Viewpoint
U.S. President Trump said he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone about ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, but did not disclose further information. This is the first time Putin has spoken directly to the US President since early 2022. The Kremlin did not confirm or deny the report.
In an exclusive interview with the New York Post aboard Air Force One on Friday (February 7), Trump said he had spoken with Putin on the phone and tried to end the Russia-Ukraine war through negotiations. Asked how many times the two had spoken, Trump responded: “I’d rather not say.”
Trump said he believed Putin did care about the killing on the battlefield. “He didn’t want to see people die anymore. All these people who died, young, beautiful people, they were just like your children, two million of them – they died for no reason.”
Trump also said that if he was still the president of the United States in 2022, this war, which has lasted for three years, would not have happened at all. He said that he and Putin have always had a good relationship and that Biden “brought shame to the country.”
Trump also said he had a specific plan on how to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, but did not elaborate on what the plan contained. “I hope it’s soon. People are dying every day. It’s a terrible war in Ukraine. I want to end this damn conflict,” Trump told National Security Adviser Waltz aboard Air Force One. “Let’s start these meetings. They want to have meetings.”
Previously, when Trump was running for president, he repeatedly threatened to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours. Since he took office, all parties have been watching his actions and worried that he would pressure Ukraine to cede territory in exchange for peace.
US Vice President Vance to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky
It is also reported that US Vice President Vance will meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky during the Munich Security Conference to be held from the 14th to the 16th of this month. U.S. allies expect the Trump administration to privately present a plan to end the war with Ukraine during the meeting, people familiar with the matter said.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov said in response to a question from TASS on Sunday (9th) that he could neither confirm nor deny the news of Putin’s phone call with Trump.
Peskov pointed out that as the new US government gets to work, a lot of communication is taking place between the US and Russia. “These communications took place through different channels. It’s possible that I personally was not aware of certain things.”
The Kremlin previously said they were waiting for signals from the United States that a meeting between Trump and Putin might be arranged. Once substantial information is obtained, the Russian side will report on the contacts between the leaders of the two countries.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to meet with Putin to discuss how to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Reuters reported earlier this month that Russia considered Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as possible locations for a summit between the two men.
The Russian News Agency (RIA) reported on Thursday (6th), citing the Chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, Slutsky, that preparations for the summit have entered an advanced stage and may be held in February or March.
Trump also told reporters at the White House on Friday that he might meet with Zelensky next week, possibly in Washington.
On the other hand, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Gatilov, said on Sunday that Russia has not seen any positive measures taken by the new US government on disarmament, and the two countries have not yet resumed consultations on nuclear arms control and broader security issues.
“Of course, we are closely following the words and the first steps taken by representatives of the new US government. We hope that the US side will turn words into actions, especially since they have said a lot since January 20 (Trump took office),” Gatilov told RIA Novosti. He indicated that Russia is ready to maintain good cooperative relations with any US government.
