Donald Trump has announced plans for a meeting with Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the “bloody mess” of the war in Ukraine.
“He wants to meet, and we’re setting it up,” the former U.S. President said on Thursday outside his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, as reported by The Telegraph. “[Putin] even said so publicly, and we need to end this war—it’s a bloody mess,” Trump added, noting that the meeting would take place after his inauguration on January 20.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that there has been no official request for such a meeting from Trump’s camp. However, he added that Putin “would welcome” such an approach and is “ready” for dialogue with Washington.
Trump’s potential return to the White House has raised concerns in Kyiv, where officials fear he may cut military aid to Ukraine and push for a swift peace deal that could severely disadvantage the war-torn nation.
