Trump Suggests Negotiation with Putin
Former US President Donald Trump has said that he had discussed negotiating a Russia-Ukraine war, which is close to three years old with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking with the New York Post on Friday aboard Air Force One, Mr. Trump refused to say exactly how many times he had spoken with Putin but insisted that Russian negotiators were willing to meet with their US counterparts.
Trump said Putin was worried about the ongoing battlefield casualties but would not confirm whether any concrete commitments had been made to end the war. He repeated his long-standing claim that he has a plan to resolve the conflict but refused to provide details. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing,” Trump said.
Skepticism Over Trump’s Casualty Estimates
During the interview, Trump again estimated that about 1 million Russian soldiers and 700,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed in the war. This is much higher than estimates given by Ukrainian officials or independent analysts.
National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, who sat through the interview, refused to say whether Trump had communicated directly with Putin. Speaking Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Waltz said that the high-ranking US diplomats would be in Europe this week discussing ways of bringing an end to the conflict. He said that plans to find ways of brokering peace had been discussed with world leaders such as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Economic Implications of Stopping the War
Waltz proposed that, going forward, discussions would encompass US assistance to Ukraine, including other future economic opportunities for the nation, such as access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials, its natural resources, and its energy sector. Secondly, Waltz added that post-war, the security of this region must fall to Europe’s leadership. “President Trump is going to end it, and then, in terms of security guarantees, that is squarely going to be with the Europeans,” he said.
Kremlin Response and Diplomatic Signals
The Kremlin would neither confirm nor deny Trump’s claims of having direct talks with Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told “TASS” state news agency that he was not aware of any such calls but acknowledged that multiple diplomatic communications were taking place between the two nations. Russian officials have previously stated that they are awaiting signals for a potential meeting between Trump and Putin.
Trump’s Take on Israel-Iran Tensions
Beyond Ukraine, Trump also chimed in on the growing tensions between Israel and Iran, pushing for a diplomatic settlement rather than war. “I would like a deal done with Iran on non-nuclear,” he said, adding that he would rather avoid armed conflict. “Nobody wants to die.” Trump added that if a deal were made, Israel would stop its military attacks against Iran.
While Trump did not elaborate on the details of his approach, he expressed confidence that Iran would reconsider its current course of action, stating, “I think they’ll really be happy.”
As global tensions remain high, Trump’s comments suggest he aims to position himself as a key player in resolving international conflicts should he return to office.
