President Donald Trump indicated that he would “probably” meet Ukrainian President Zelensky next week while hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday.
Trump expressed a strong wish for the war to end, highlighting the immense loss of lives and millions of casualties on the battlefield as the primary reason. “The war would never have started if I were President,” Trump said, repeating a statement he has made several times.
Trump mentioned that the meeting would likely take place in Washington, D.C., as he would not be traveling to Ukraine.
He also stated that he may speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned in an interview with The Associated Press on February 2 that excluding Ukraine from U.S.-Russian talks on the war would be dangerous for all parties.
Last month, President Trump warned that he would impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on Russia unless President Putin agrees to a deal to end the war. He also expressed admiration for the Russian people and emphasized his past positive relations with Putin.
