By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Newly-elected U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a meeting is taking place between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Republican did not provide a timeline for talks between the two leaders.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Trump's return to the White House on January 20 has raised hopes for a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, but it has also raised fears in Kiev that a quick peace deal could come at a high price. for Ukraine.
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Trump advisers have floated proposals to end the war that would effectively cede large parts of the country to Russia in the near future.
KEY QUOTES
“He wants to meet, and we are arranging that,” Trump said in a speech before a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
“President Putin wants to meet. He even said that publicly and we need to end that war. That's a bloody mess,” Trump said of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
CONTEXT
Since the start of the Russian invasion, the United States under Democratic President Joe Biden has pledged more than $175 billion in aid to Ukraine, including more than $60 billion in security assistance.
However, it is uncertain whether aid will continue at that pace under Trump, who has said he wants to bring the war to a quick end.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Thursday that Putin would welcome Trump's desire for contact, but so far there have been no formal requests. It would be more appropriate to first wait until Trump comes to power, Peskov said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Trump could be decisive in the outcome of the 34-month war with Russia and help stop Putin.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Sandra Maler and Diane Craft)
