During a press conference in the Oval Office, the Republican also announced that he will meet this Friday (17) with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House
The president of , , stated this Thursday (16) that he intends to meet with the president of , , “within the next two weeks”, after a telephone conversation that he classified as “very good” and “productive”. According to Trump, the meeting should take place in Budapest, Hungary.
During a press conference in the Oval Office, the Republican also informed that he will meet this Friday (17) with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House, and that he may hold “separate meetings” with him and Putin. “I think we will be successful in ending the war in Ukraine”, he declared, highlighting that the conflict “could culminate in a Third World War”, but assured that “that will not happen”.
Trump revealed that he had discussed with Putin, over the phone, the possibility of sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. According to him, he even asked the Russian leader: “Would you mind if I gave a few thousand Tomahawks to your opposition?” The American president stated that Putin “didn’t like the idea” and described the missiles as “incredibly destructive”.
The Republican also commented on the bill that provides for new sanctions against Russia, saying he will discuss the issue with senators John Thune and Ron Johnson. However, he considered that “perhaps the time is not the most appropriate” to move forward with the proposal, due to attempts to negotiate with Moscow for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Crisis in the Middle East
Trump also addressed the situation in the Middle East, stating that “someone will act against Hamas, if necessary, under the auspices of the United States.” He argued that the group “must honor its commitments”. Regarding domestic policy, the president announced measures to reduce the costs of in vitro fertilization and promised to “expand approval of price reductions for fertility drugs.”
Asked about the shutdown — the partial shutdown of the federal government, which reaches its 16th day —, Trump stated that the priority is to resolve issues related to health, one of the Democrats’ demands for a budget agreement. “We need to take care of the health system,” he declared, without detailing the ongoing negotiations.
