US Donald Trump - I love Putin, I’m not looking to hurt Russia, Russia helped us win the Second World War,
With the change of batton in Pentagon, Ukraine has only one option on the table, "negotiate with Russia".
U.S President, Donald Trump has expressed his desires to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, he said that by pushing to settle the war he was doing Russia and its president a "very big favour".
American leader had previously said he would negotiate a settlement to Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022, in a single day.
Russia has not yet responded to the remarks, but senior officials have said in recent days that there is a small window of opportunity for Moscow to deal with the new US administration. However, President Vladimir Putin has said repeatedly that he is prepared to negotiate an end to the war, which first began in 2014, but that Ukraine would have to accept the reality of Russian territorial gains, which are currently about 20% of its land. He also refuses to allow Ukraine to join Nato.
Kyiv does not want to give up its territory, although President Volodymyr Zelensky has conceded he may have to cede some currently occupied land temporarily.
On Tuesday Trump told a news conference he would be talking to Putin "very soon"
But in his Truth Social post on Wednesday, he went further: "I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR," he wrote.
"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal', and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries."
Continuing, he said: "Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It's time to "MAKE A DEAL"."
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy earlier told Reuters news agency that the Kremlin would need to know what Trump wants in a deal to stop the war before the country moves forward.
Meanwhile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday that at least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed under any agreement.
And he told Bloomberg that any peacekeeping force for his country would have to include US troops to pose a realistic deterrent to Russia.
"It can't be without the United States... Even if some European friends think it can be, no it will not be," he said, adding that no-one else would risk such a move without the US.
While Ukraine's leaders might appreciate this tougher-talking Trump - they have always said Putin only understands strength - the initial reaction in Kyiv to the US president's comments suggest that it is actions people are waiting for, not words.
With the change of batton in Pentagon, Ukraine has only one option on the table, "negotiate with Russia".
With the change of batton in Pentagon, Ukraine has only one option on the table, "negotiate with Russia".
U.S President, Donald Trump has expressed his desires to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, he said that by pushing to settle the war he was doing Russia and its president a "very big favour".
American leader had previously said he would negotiate a settlement to Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022, in a single day.
Russia has not yet responded to the remarks, but senior officials have said in recent days that there is a small window of opportunity for Moscow to deal with the new US administration. However, President Vladimir Putin has said repeatedly that he is prepared to negotiate an end to the war, which first began in 2014, but that Ukraine would have to accept the reality of Russian territorial gains, which are currently about 20% of its land. He also refuses to allow Ukraine to join Nato.
Kyiv does not want to give up its territory, although President Volodymyr Zelensky has conceded he may have to cede some currently occupied land temporarily.
On Tuesday Trump told a news conference he would be talking to Putin "very soon"
But in his Truth Social post on Wednesday, he went further: "I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR," he wrote.
"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal', and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries."
Continuing, he said: "Let's get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It's time to "MAKE A DEAL"."
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy earlier told Reuters news agency that the Kremlin would need to know what Trump wants in a deal to stop the war before the country moves forward.
Meanwhile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday that at least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed under any agreement.
And he told Bloomberg that any peacekeeping force for his country would have to include US troops to pose a realistic deterrent to Russia.
"It can't be without the United States... Even if some European friends think it can be, no it will not be," he said, adding that no-one else would risk such a move without the US.
While Ukraine's leaders might appreciate this tougher-talking Trump - they have always said Putin only understands strength - the initial reaction in Kyiv to the US president's comments suggest that it is actions people are waiting for, not words.
With the change of batton in Pentagon, Ukraine has only one option on the table, "negotiate with Russia".
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