Trump gives major five-word update on plan for Putin after despot runs scared of talks
U.S. President Trump has previously suggested that Russia and Ukraine will not be able to strike a deal without his presence.
U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on his belief that he must meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a permanent ceasefire deal in Ukraine. In five words, he summed up an issue deemed paramount to the White House as the rest of the world fears the war will continue: "He and I will meet."
“We have to meet. He and I will meet," Trump told reporters Friday aboard Air Force One while leaving Abu Dhabi, where he issued a stark warning to Iran after unveiling his ambitious plans to build a 'Golden Dome' missile defense system in Doha.
He added, "I think we’ll solve it, or maybe not, but at least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it will be very interesting.
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The comments come amid trilateral peace talks taking place in Istanbul among Ukrainian, Russian and American representatives to reach an agreement after over three years of fighting.
Trump added that he hopes to meet with Putin "as soon as we can set it up" after similarly suggesting the day before that peace would be unreachable without him.
"Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together. Okay?" Trump told reporters Thursday on Air Force One.
Trump had previously vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day back in office, which he recently clarified to TIME Magazine was a figurative remark.
He also hinted in that interview that negotations could prove difficult given the opposing conditions on both sides. For example, Trump reiterated Russia's desire to annex Ukrainian territory such as Crimea and dissaproval of Ukraine gaining NATO membership. Meanwhile, both of those things are demands on the Ukrainian side, posing potential problems in reaching an agreement.
Shortly after the TIME Magazine report, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has privately expressed growing frustrations about the difficulty of striking a peace between Ukraine and Russia.
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Trump's approach to the Ukraine war has vastly differed from the Biden administration, which threw its full-fledged support behind Ukraine after Russia invaded in February 2022.
In a stark reversal, the Trump administration has pulled back on financially and militarily supporting Ukraine, forcing European nations to step up in the face of Russian aggression, which risks expanding eastward into the European continent.
After months of pressure and ugly public spats, the Trump administration convinced Ukraine to sign a lucrative mineral deal, in which the U.S. gained access to precious Earth minerals in exchange for its support to the warring nation.
