On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin might find himself in a “difficult situation” if he fails to demonstrate a readiness to pursue a peace agreement with Ukraine. He also urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be prepared to exhibit some “flexibility” during negotiations.
“I hope President Putin makes the right choices. If he doesn’t, it could lead to a challenging scenario,” Trump stated in a telephone interview on Fox & Friends. “And I trust that Zelensky… will make the necessary adjustments. He needs to be flexible.”
Trump caused a stir on Monday when he announced that arrangements were being made for a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky, following a day filled with important discussions between European leaders and the Ukrainian president at the White House.
“Perhaps they are improving their relationship more than I initially expected. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have planned the [bilateral meeting],” Trump mentioned during his Fox & Friends appearance, discussing the talks between Zelensky and Putin. “I wouldn’t say they will ever be the best of friends, but they seem to be getting along.”
On Monday, Zelensky expressed his willingness to meet with Putin. The Kremlin has not confirmed any arrangements for a summit, merely stating it is “considering the possibility” of direct high-level negotiations with Ukraine following a phone discussion between Trump and Putin that day.
Two sources familiar with their conversation informed AFP that Putin proposed holding a meeting with Zelensky in Moscow, to which the Ukrainian president replied with a firm “No.”
During his appearance on Fox & Friends, Trump also implied that Ukraine bore some responsibility for Russia’s 2022 invasion, claiming that the “war really began due to NATO and Crimea,” the latter of which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.
He described Crimea as “the most beautiful piece of land you could imagine” and criticized former President Barack Obama for allowing it to be “lost in what was one of the most foolish real estate decisions.”
In response to Russia’s annexation in 2014, the Obama administration implemented economic sanctions and scaled back diplomatic relations.
At the same time, Trump noted that the conflict has primarily resulted in the deaths of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, while fewer civilians are affected by missiles that “land in the wrong places or are launched into cities like Kyiv and smaller towns,” suggesting he believes Russia does not deliberately target civilians.
“However, if I can prevent 7,000 deaths a week, I’m willing to do anything to achieve that goal,” he remarked during the phone interview. “I just want to bring this to an end.”
When questioned about possible land swaps between Moscow and Kyiv as part of a peace deal, Trump remarked that Ukraine would “gain a lot of land” but did not provide further details.
He went on to propose that France, Germany, and the U.K. could send “boots on the ground” to Ukraine as peacekeepers, while dismissing the idea of direct U.S. military involvement.
“There will be some sort of security arrangement [for Ukraine]. It can’t be NATO,” the American president stated. “If you were in Russia’s position, who would want your adversary on your doorstep? That doesn’t make sense,” he added, referring to Ukraine as a “kind of buffer between Russia and the rest of Europe.”
“Everything was going smoothly until Biden got involved,” Trump concluded.
