On 9 January, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that he was preparing a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said this during an event at Mar-a-Lago, his estate in Florida. This was reported by Reuters.
“He wants to meet, and we’re setting it up,” Trump said, adding that ending the war in Ukraine is one of his priorities.
Peace process or dangerous compromises?
Expectations for Trump’s diplomatic initiatives are mixed. While his return to the White House on 20 January raises hopes for an end to the 34-month war, there are concerns in Ukraine that a potential peace could be accompanied by significant territorial concessions to Russia.
Trump’s quotes:
- “President Putin wants to meet. He has even said so publicly. We have to put an end to this bloody mess.”
Reactions of Moscow and Kyiv
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin positively assessed Trump’s desire to establish contact. However, he said, no formal requests for a meeting have been received so far. Peskov stressed that it would be more appropriate to wait until Trump officially takes office.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that Trump could play a key role in ending the war. He noted that Trump’s decision could stop Putin, but rejected the possibility of compromises that violate Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States, under the leadership of Democratic President Joe Biden, has provided more than $175 billion in aid to Ukraine, including $60 billion for security.
However, with Trump returning to the White House, the pace and scope of support may change. Trump has previously stated his intention to end the war “quickly”, which raises questions about the potential cost of such a peace.
