WASHINGTON, Jan 22: On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump expressed his willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at any time. However, he also issued a warning that sanctions could be imposed on Russia if it fails to engage in negotiations regarding Ukraine.
“It seems likely,” Trump told reporters when questioned about the possibility of additional sanctions against Russia if Putin does not participate in talks.
“This war should never have started. If a capable President had been in charge, it wouldn’t have happened. The conflict in Ukraine would never have arisen had I been president,” Trump stated.
“Russia would not have invaded Ukraine. I had a solid understanding with Putin. This would have never transpired. He showed disrespect towards Biden—it’s quite straightforward. He disrespects individuals. He’s intelligent. He gets it. He disrespected Biden,” Trump remarked.
“Furthermore, the situation in the Middle East would have been different because Iran was in dire financial straits,” he added.
When asked, Trump reiterated that he is open to meeting Putin at any time.
“Anytime they wish to meet, I’m available. Millions of people are losing their lives… This is a brutal situation, and they are now primarily soldiers. Countless people have died, and cities resemble war zones,” he noted.
“Regarding Ukraine, the death toll is much higher than reported. The real figures are not being disclosed, and I don’t hold you accountable for that. I might hold our government accountable for withholding those numbers,” Trump told the press.
When asked about the continuation of weapon supplies to Ukraine, or if he plans to stop them soon, Trump indicated he is reviewing the situation.
“We’ll assess that. We’re in discussions with (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy. We’re also going to speak with President Putin shortly, and we’ll see how things unfold. We’ll evaluate it soon,” he said.
“One thing I believe is that the European Union should contribute significantly more than they currently do, as under Biden, we’ve committed an additional USD 200 billion. This is impacting them… We have an ocean separating us. The European Union should match our contributions—we’ve invested USD 200 billion more than they have. Are we just foolish? It seems so,” the president stated.
Trump also mentioned that Ukrainian President Zelensky conveyed his strong desire for peace.
“He has communicated to me that he genuinely wants peace, but it requires cooperation from both sides. We’ll see how this progresses. At any point they need, I’m ready to meet. I hope to see an end to this conflict. Millions of lives are at stake. It’s an awful situation,” he concluded. (PTI)
