US President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that arrangements are being made for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He wants to meet, and we are in the process of setting it up,” Trump stated prior to a gathering with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, as reported by Reuters. He did not disclose the timing of the meeting.
Trump, who will assume office on January 20, has been critical of outgoing President Joe Biden’s unconditional support for Ukraine and has pledged to swiftly encourage negotiations between Russia and Ukraine during his campaign.
He referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the “greatest salesman on earth,” highlighting Zelensky’s persistent appeals to Western nations for increased military and financial support.
While Trump did not outline a specific strategy for achieving peace, media sources suggest that his team is contemplating a strategy to freeze the conflict along the existing front lines.
In comments to the press on Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that Moscow “had received no requests” regarding a Trump-Putin meeting. “It makes sense, of course, to wait until [Trump] takes office,” Peskov remarked.
Trump’s designated envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, expressed optimism about reaching an agreement between Russia and Ukraine within 100 days following Inauguration Day. He also criticized Biden for not engaging in dialogue with Putin since 2022, when Russia initiated its military actions in Ukraine.
Negotiations between Moscow and Kiev collapsed in the spring of 2022, with both parties accusing one another of making unreasonable demands. According to Putin, the Ukrainian delegation had initially agreed to some of Russia’s proposals but then abruptly withdrew from the discussions.
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