President Trump and Vladimir Putin’s Meeting Preparation, New Initiative to Resolve Russia-Ukraine War

President Trump and Vladimir Putin’s Meeting Preparation, New Initiative to Resolve Russia-Ukraine War

New York, January 10: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has announced that a meeting is being prepared with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he did not specify a timeline for this meeting.

Speaking before a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said, "He (Putin) wants to meet, and we are preparing for that. President Putin has openly expressed his desire to meet. We must end that war. It's a bloody mess."

Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump added, "We have to stop that war." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Putin has expressed a desire to contact Trump, but no formal request has yet been made. Discussions regarding the meeting will take place once Trump takes office, Peskov added.

Trump's remarks come just a week and a half before he is set to take office. During his campaign, Trump had promised to establish peace in Ukraine, though he has yet to reveal a specific peace plan. However, he has discussed some proposals with his advisers to end the war, including the suggestion of handing over a large part of Ukraine to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Trump could play a crucial role in ending the 34-month war with Russia. In an interview with Sky News, Zelensky said, "The intense phase of the war could end if NATO provides security guarantees for Ukraine."

However, Trump has often mocked Zelensky as a "salesman" and has rarely criticized Putin.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he sympathizes with Russia’s stance that Ukraine should not be part of NATO. Trump said, "For many years, Russia has said that Ukraine cannot be part of NATO. Now Biden is saying, 'They can be members of NATO.' So, I understand Russia’s concerns as a neighbor."

Trump further stated, "The amount of military aid we have provided to Ukraine is excessive." It is noteworthy that since the Russian invasion, the Biden administration has provided more than $175 billion in aid to Ukraine. However, it remains uncertain whether this aid will continue under Trump.

Additionally, Trump has called for increased defense spending by NATO member countries and has threatened to reconsider the U.S.'s commitment to NATO. On Tuesday, he urged NATO member countries to allocate 5% of their GDP to defense spending.

Trump's remarks and policy stance have elicited mixed reactions among U.S. allies.