Trump Urges Meeting with Putin to Advance Ukraine Peace Talks

Trump's Call for Diplomacy

On Friday, former US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin "as soon as possible" to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. He made these statements following his tour of West Asia, emphasizing that without such a meeting, diplomatic efforts would likely stagnate, which he believes would be detrimental for all parties involved.

These comments came just before a planned meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey, marking the first in-person discussions since the conflict began. Despite the importance of this event, the US has tempered expectations for any significant outcomes, a sentiment echoed by Trump.

He stated that nothing substantial would occur regarding Ukraine until he and Putin convene, framing their potential meeting as a crucial moment for the stalled peace negotiations. Trump remarked, "I think it’s time for us to just do it. They all said Putin was going and Zelenskyy was going. I said, if I don’t go, I guarantee Putin is not going, and he didn’t go. We’re going to get it done. 5,000 young people are being killed every single week on average, and we’re going to get it done," highlighting the human toll of the conflict.

When questioned about the timing of the meeting, Trump replied, "As soon as we can set it up. I was going to – I would actually leave here and go. I do want to see my beautiful grandson, and we’ll be doing that." His daughter Tiffany Trump recently welcomed a baby, marking his 11th grandchild.

Trump also commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s absence from the recent talks, suggesting that Zelenskyy chose not to attend because he was aware that Putin would not be present. He added, "He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there, and I don’t believe anything’s going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together."