Trump stated that Putin wants to meet with him.
Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump stated on January 9 that Russian leader Vladimir Putin wishes to meet with him. The Republican emphasized that preparations for this meeting are already underway. The politician added that the war in Ukraine must come to an end.
"He wants to meet, and we are organizing it," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, as reported by Reuters.
"President Putin wants to meet. He has even mentioned it publicly, and we need to end this war. It's a bloody mess... He wants to meet, and we are organizing it," Trump stated.
Trump did not provide further details regarding the upcoming meeting.
This announcement was made just days before Trump is set to take office on January 20. During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to negotiate a swift end to the war in Ukraine, often referencing his good relationship with Putin.
Trump's candidate for the position of special envoy for peace in Ukraine, retired General Keith Kellogg, praised Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue with the Russian president and criticized U.S. President Joe Biden for refusing to do so. On January 8, Kellogg stated that the administration aims to end the war within 100 days.
On December 19, Putin declared that he was ready to meet with Trump "at any time" to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Since then, Russian officials have dismissed reports of peace agreements with Trump's team, stating that they do not meet Putin's conditions.
Trump's push for a swift end to the war has raised concerns that Kyiv may be forced to make unfavorable concessions, including the loss of temporarily occupied territories. Approximately 20% of Ukraine's territory is currently occupied by Russian forces.
Negotiations and Peace Agreement
Earlier, CNN outlined the timeline for potential first negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. These could take place in the first half of 2025. The Biden administration, before the change of power in the White House, delivered the last military aid package to Kyiv. Washington believes that the Russian economy has been significantly weakened by sanctions, so leading up to potential negotiations, America is doing everything possible to strengthen Kyiv.
Meanwhile, American experts believe that a deal could be reached by Easter – April 20, 2025.
Not long ago, Donald Trump appointed 80-year-old retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg as his assistant and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. According to CNN, Kellogg proposed a plan to end the war, which involves the diplomatic return of occupied territories and a temporary halt to Ukraine's NATO integration process.