US President Donald Trump said he is hopeful about reaching an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they meet in Alaska on Friday. Speaking at a White House briefing on Monday, Trump noted that he would know “within the first two minutes” of their talks if a deal is possible.
When asked about the possibility of normal trade between the US and Russia, Trump replied, “I do. Russia has a very valuable piece of land. If Vladimir Putin went toward business instead of toward war… they fight a lot of wars. A friend of mine said Russia is tough because they just keep on fighting.”
Trump stressed his aim for peace, saying, “I’d like to see a ceasefire. I’d like to see the best deal that could be made for both parties.” He described the upcoming discussions as “a big deal” and suggested that European leaders also want the war to end so they can focus on developing their own countries.
Trump linked Russia’s economic troubles to the ongoing conflict and US trade actions. He explained that imposing a 50% tariff on countries buying Russian oil was “a big blow” to Moscow’s economy. “I haven’t stopped there… I was all set to do things far bigger than that. But I got a call that they’d like to meet, and I’m going to see what they want to meet about,” Trump said.
According to Trump, European leaders “rely on me very much” and are eager to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict quickly. “If it weren’t for me, this thing would never get solved until the last person breathing is dead… I’d like to see a ceasefire immediately,” he said.
Trump claimed the war would not have started if he were president. “This is Joe Biden’s war. This is not my war,” he said. Trump added that he will urge Putin to end the war: “He wasn’t going to mess with me.”
After meeting Putin, Trump plans to set up a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin, with or without his own presence. “I’m going to meet with President Putin and we’re going to see what he has in mind. If it’s a fair deal, I’ll reveal it to the European Union leaders, NATO leaders, and also to President Zelensky,” he said, noting he would call Zelensky first “out of respect.”
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