Trump Says Putin Wants To End Ukraine War
Washington: President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the Ukraine war despite inconclusive talks in Moscow, as U.S. officials prepared for a follow-up meeting with Kiev’s chief negotiator.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner stayed with Putin at the Kremlin in the early morning hours but made no progress in stopping the worst conflict in Europe since World War II.
The Kremlin later said it found parts of the US plan to end the war unacceptable; although the offer involves Ukraine ceding parts of the eastern Donbas region, which Russia still holds nearly four years after its invasion.
“I can tell you they had a pretty good meeting with President Putin,” Trump said when an AFP reporter asked him about the talks, then added that the talks were “very good.”
Trump said it was too early to tell what would happen because it takes two to tango.
Asked whether Witkoff and Kushner had any idea that Putin really wanted to stop Russia’s nearly four-year occupation, Trump replied: “He wants to end the war. That was their impression.”
Trump added that Ukraine supported the US proposal “pretty well” but added that Kiev should have done so earlier, during a famously heated meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval office in February.
Two US officials told AFP that Witkoff and Kushner will meet with senior Ukrainian negotiator Rustam Umerov in Florida on Thursday to follow up on Kremlin talks.
‘Achievements of the Russian army’
However, while the White House expressed optimism before the Kremlin talks, Moscow said the two sides could not reach an agreement and more work was needed.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that its military’s recent battlefield successes in Ukraine had strengthened its position, adding that Kiev’s ties with NATO remained an important question.
Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine accelerated last month, and Putin has said in recent days that he is ready to fight to seize the rest of the territory claimed by Moscow if Kiev does not surrender.
“The progress and nature of the negotiations were influenced by the successes of the Russian army on the battlefield in recent weeks,” Kremlin deputy Yuri Ushakov, who participated in the US-Russia talks, told reporters including AFP.
Moscow insisted it was wrong to say Putin rejected the plan in its entirety.
The report also stated that Russia is still committed to diplomacy, despite Putin’s stern warning earlier this week that Moscow is ready to go to war with Europe if it wants war.
“We are still ready for as many talks as are needed to reach a peace agreement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
In Kiev, Zelensky said that although a window of opportunity for peace had opened, it must be accompanied by pressure on Moscow.
“The world now clearly feels that there is an opportunity to end the war, and current activity in negotiations needs to be supported by pressure on Russia,” he said in a regular evening speech. he said.
The new talks come as NATO pledged to buy Kiev hundreds of millions of dollars worth of US weapons.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said it was positive that peace talks were continuing, but the alliance must ensure “Ukraine is in the strongest possible position to continue the war”.
Russian troops continue to advance on the front line against Ukrainian forces, which are outgunned and outnumbered.
Earlier this week, Moscow claimed to have captured the important fortress of Pokrovsk, but a Ukrainian army unit fighting in the city said clashes in the city were still continuing.
European countries have expressed fears that Washington and Moscow will reach a deal without them and have spent recent weeks trying to change the US plan to avoid forcing Kiev to surrender.
