U.S. President Donald Trump was asked whether he would offer Russian President Vladimir Putin access to rare minerals as an incentive to end the war in Ukraine. He responded:
“We’ll see what happens. We have a big meeting. I think it will be very important for Russia, and it will be very important for us to save many lives.”
Trump reiterated that he is meeting with Putin “to save thousands of soldiers’ lives that are being lost each week.” Speaking about the upcoming meeting, he added:
“I think it will be good.”
He also indicated that if the first meeting is successful, he intends to follow up with a second meeting including President Zelensky and potentially European leaders:
“But the most important meeting will be the second one we have, a meeting with President Putin, President Zelensky, myself, and maybe we will bring some European leaders, maybe not.”
Trump expressed confidence that Zelensky and Putin “will make peace,” adding that he believes Putin wants a deal.
He concluded by emphasizing:
“I think if I weren’t president, he would have taken over all of Ukraine. This is a war that should never have happened. If I weren’t president, in my opinion, he would have wanted to take over much more of Ukraine, but I am president, and he will not play with me.”
The Trump-Putin meeting is scheduled to take place Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
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