US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that preparations are underway for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump stated, “He wants to meet too, and we are setting it up,” though he did not specify a timeline for the meeting.
Trump, who takes office on January 20, has pledged to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, calling it a “bloody mess.” He has previously expressed scepticism about continued US military and financial aid to Kyiv, emphasizing the need for diplomacy.
“President Putin wants to meet,” Trump reiterated, adding that the conflict needs a resolution.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news agency Tass that the US has not yet made a formal request for the meeting.
To facilitate peace negotiations, Trump has nominated retired Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg, a former national security adviser, as special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg has outlined a strategy for resolving the conflict, proposing that US aid to Ukraine should be contingent on its willingness to engage in peace talks with Moscow. His plan was detailed in a research paper published last year by the America First Policy Institute, a think tank aligned with Trump’s policies.
The proposed meeting signals Trump’s intent to pursue a diplomatic approach to the Ukraine war, raising hopes for a resolution to the conflict. However, the announcement has already sparked debate over the potential implications for US-Russia relations and support for Ukraine.
