...
By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump was asked on Tuesday if Russian President Vladimir Putin is "back on the clock" as it seems increasingly unlikely that Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a summit to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Why It Matters
Trump has expressed frustration and doubt about whether a Putin-Zelensky summit will pan out, saying Monday: "I don't know that they'll meet — maybe they will, maybe they won't. It's going to be up to them. It takes two to tango. I always say it. And they should meet, I think, before I have a meeting and probably close the deal, but I think it's appropriate."
Read More on Politics
Trump's comments this week were a departure from earlier comments he made on the heels of his highly anticipated summit with Putin in Alaska over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, after which the U.S. president and his allies hinted that a meeting between the heads of the two warring nations could be imminent.
...
What To Know
"On your way to Alaska, you had mentioned that there would be severe consequences if Vladimir Putin did not agree to a ceasefire," a reporter said to Trump following a televised Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. "After that summit, there was rollback, given the negotiations. Is he back on the clock now?"
"I want to see that deal end," Trump replied, referring to the brutal and ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which Putin sparked when he invaded Ukraine without provocation in early 2022.
"It's very, very serious what I have in mind, if I have to do it. But I want to see it end," the president added. "I think that in many ways, he's there. Sometimes he'll be there, and Zelensky won't be there. You know, it's like, who do we have today? I've got to get them both at the same time. But I want to have it end."
Putin and Zelensky are far apart on their terms for peace.
The Russian president, who had the red carpet rolled out for him when he arrived for a high-stakes summit with Trump earlier this month, has made no concessions as part of the ceasefire negotiations.
Moscow has also repeatedly called for Russian control of four Ukrainian territories it says it annexed in the war, while Kyiv has said it will not cede control of its land and is pushing for security guarantees from the U.S. and other NATO members.
"We have economic sanctions ... because we're not going to get into a world war," Trump said Tuesday, referring to possible consequences the U.S. could impose on Russia if a Putin-Zelensky summit fails to come to fruition. "In my opinion, if I didn't win this race, Ukraine could have ended up in a world war. We're not going to end up in a world war anymore. But it would have ended up, possibly, in a world war. They were ready to trot."
The U.S. president went on to say that he wants hostilities between Russia and Ukraine to end, that if they don't, "it will not be a world war, but it'll be an economic war and an economic war is going to be bad."
"And it's going to be bad for Russia, and I don't want that," Trump added. "Now, I have to also see because not everybody, you know, Zelensky's not exactly innocent either, okay?"
He went on to say: "I get along with Zelensky now, but we have a much different relationship because now, we're not paying any money to Ukraine."
Trump was referring to a renegotiated agreement in which NATO members purchase U.S. weapons and send them to Ukraine.
"But even with that, forget about that, I want to get it stopped because it's a lot of lives that are being lost," Trump said.
The U.S. president was also asked about earlier comments from Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who said that Putin will not sign a peace agreement with Zelensky because he views the Ukrainian leader as illegitimate.
"Just wondering if the Russians have been relaying this to your team, if they view Zelensky as a leader worth signing a peace deal with—" a reporter began, before Trump cut her off.
"It doesn't matter what they say," Trump said. "Everybody's posturing. It's all bull****, okay? Everybody's posturing."
What People Are Saying
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on "Meet the Press" over the weekend that there is no meeting planned between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, saying: There "needs to be an agenda first ... This agenda is not ready at all."
Lavrov also accused Western countries in earlier comments of seeking "a pretext to block negotiations" and slammed Zelensky for "demanding an immediate meeting at all costs."
Zelensky renewed calls for a bilateral summit with Putin on Sunday, saying in part: The "format of talks between leaders is the most effective way forward."
What Happens Next
The Trump administration and Ukrainian leaders are continuing their push for talks between Putin and Zelensky, but Russian officials have given no indication that they'd be open to such a meeting. Tuesday's comments from Trump also came days after two Russian cruise missiles hit a U.S. electronics factory in Ukraine, in a sign that Moscow does not have any intention of pulling back on its attacks.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines