US President Donald Trump made some surprising statements about Vladimir Putin, saying that the Kremlin leader should conclude a peace agreement with Ukraine and that he is destroying his country if he refuses.
While signing executive orders at the White House in front of reporters on his first day in office, the new US president made unexpectedly critical remarks about Putin, compared to his previous positions on the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to conclude an agreement and mentioned that Russia is facing some issues that should prompt Russian leader Vladimir Putin to negotiate, as reported by AFP, cited by Radio Free Europe.
"We should conclude an agreement. I think it destroys Russia if it does not conclude an agreement," Trump said about Putin.
The new US president reiterated his desire to end the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible, but first, he needs to discuss with Putin. He added that the Russian side "cannot be satisfied (with the war), as things are not going well."
"Most thought the war would end in a week," Trump said, but Putin "would do well to end the war."
"I think Russia would have had major problems. Just look at the inflation in Russia... I hope he wants to make a deal," he added.
The US president again evoked warm relations with Vladimir Putin and expressed hope for a quick peace agreement, but did not mention a possible timeline for this process. However, Trump noted that while Volodymyr Zelensky told him he wants an agreement to end the war, the US president is not sure if Putin wants the same.
According to estimates from Kyiv, Russia has lost around 700,000-800,000 soldiers, killed or wounded, in nearly three years of war in Ukraine and is facing a difficult economic situation. At the same time, Russian forces continue to advance in eastern Ukraine, while Kyiv faces a shortage of troops on the front lines.
So far, Donald Trump has revealed some details about his plans to end the war. His team indicated that the new administration will try to maintain Ukraine's independence, although US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that both Kyiv and Moscow will need to make some concessions to reach a peace agreement.
T.D.