WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday that a meeting was being scheduled between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Republican offered no timeline for talks between the two. .
Trump’s return to the White House on January 20 raised hopes of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, but also raised fears in Kiev that a quick peace deal could have a high price for Ukraine.
Trump aides have put forward proposals to end the war that would effectively cede large parts of the country to Russia in the near future.
“He wants to get together, and we’re preparing for that,” Trump said in remarks before a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has already said this publicly and we have to end this war. It’s a bloody mess,” Trump said of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Since the start of the Russian invasion, the United States, under Democratic President Joe Biden, has committed more than $175 billion in aid to Ukraine, including more than $60 billion in security assistance.
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However, it is uncertain whether aid will continue at this pace under Trump, who has said he wants to end the war quickly.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said early Thursday that Putin would welcome Trump’s desire to get in touch, but so far there has been no formal request. It would be more appropriate to wait for Trump to take office first, Peskov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Trump could be decisive in the outcome of the 34-month war with Russia and help stop Putin.
