WASHINGTON — President Trump has announced that his administration has engaged in “very serious” discussions with Russia regarding its ongoing war in Ukraine, indicating potential for “significant” action in collaboration with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at resolving the conflict.
In an interaction with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized, “We will be speaking, and I think we might do something significant. We want to end that war, which would not have started if I were in office.”
While Trump did not disclose specific details about who in his administration has been communicating with Russian officials, he affirmed that the two parties are “already talking.”
When asked if he has had direct conversations with Putin, Trump remains vague, stating, “I don’t want to say that.”
Trump has previously claimed that had he been president during the onset of the conflict, he would have prevented it, despite having been in office while tensions escalated in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and separatists backed by Moscow prior to the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Since returning to office, Trump has criticized Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, suggesting he should have negotiated with Putin to avert the war. In a recent interview, he disparaged Zelenskyy’s assertiveness, highlighting Ukraine’s reliance on U.S. financial assistance to sustain its defense efforts.
“They were brave, but we gave them billions of dollars,” Trump remarked.
In a notable comment, Putin characterized Trump as a “clever and pragmatic man” who prioritizes U.S. interests, complimenting their historically business-like and trusting relationship. Putin speculated that the conflict in Ukraine might have been averted had Trump not been denied victory in the 2020 election, which Trump has repeatedly contested without substantial evidence.
In his 2024 campaign, Trump has pledged to swiftly end the war and has been critical of the current administration for allocating extensive U.S. taxpayer resources to aid Ukraine’s efforts against Russian aggression.
Trump’s interactions with Putin have come under scrutiny since his presidential campaign in 2016, during which he invited Russia to find the missing emails from his opponent, and he has frequently expressed admiration for Putin, labeling him “pretty smart” for his military actions in Ukraine.
