US President Donald Trump said on January 31 that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could talk very soon and announce something important towards ending the conflict in Ukraine.
"We're going to talk, and I think we're going to do something important," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We want to end that war."
According to Trump, his administration has already had "very serious discussions about the war in question," and about attempts to end it.
"It's a situation that makes no sense and must end."
Trump has not said who in his administration has been in contact with the Russians, but has insisted that the two sides are “just talking.” He has not said whether he was personally involved in the discussions.
Trump said last week that he would like to meet with Putin as soon as possible to end the war.
He said that based on what he has heard, Putin would also like to meet him.
"Every day that we don't meet, soldiers are being killed on the battlefield," he said on January 23.
Keith Kellogg, a retired American general tasked with leading talks to end the war, said at a press conference on January 7 that preparations are being made for talks between Trump and Putin.
He said it is possible that Trump will be able to talk with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump said on the campaign trail that he would end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. Now he hopes to end the war within six months.
Throughout the campaign, Trump said that Russia would never invade Ukraine if he were president, and he repeated this claim on January 31.
Trump is critical of the aid Washington has sent to Kiev, and has said Ukraine should have made concessions before the war began nearly three years ago.
In a recent interview with Russian state television, Putin praised Trump as a "wise and pragmatic man" who is focused on American interests.
"We have always had business-style, pragmatic, but also trusting relations with the current American president," Putin said.
The Russian president has ruled out the possibility of direct peace talks with Zelensky. Putin has said he does not consider Zelensky to be the legitimate leader of Ukraine.
Elections in Ukraine were supposed to be held on March 31, 2024, but have been postponed because the country is still under a state of war due to the conflict./ REL (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
