Donald Trump spoke to phone with Vladimir Putin to seek a solution to the war in Ukraine. During an exclusive interview with New York Post, the US president explained that the Russian leader was “really concerned” about the number of casualties on the battlefield and expressed a desire to “see people stop dying”.
The report comes after weeks of speculation about a possible dialogue between the two leaders and refocuses attention on Trump's ambitions to play a key role in resolving the conflict.
Trump-Putin Phone Call: What We Know
According to Trump, the conversation with Putin would have focused on the need to stop the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.Putin is really worried,” the American president said, adding that the Russian leader had confided in him: “He wants people to stop dying.”
Trump described the victims of the war as “young people, beautiful boys, like our children,” but gave a controversial estimate: “Two million of them, and (deaths) for nothing.” A number never confirmed by official sources, which estimate the overall losses – including deaths and injuries – at several hundred thousand. “I’ve always had a good relationship with Putin,” he then stressed, attacking his predecessor: “Biden has been an embarrassment to our nation. A complete embarrassment.”
Asked how many times he had spoken to Putin, Trump preferred to keep it a secret: “I’d rather not say.” But he firmly reiterated that if he had been president in 2022, “the war would never have happened.”
For his part, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov neither confirmed nor denied the alleged conversation between the two presidents. In a statement to the pro-government newspaper Izvestia, Peskov explained that the United States and Russia have “communications conducted through different channels,” and added: “Against the multiplicity of these communications, I personally may not be aware of something.”
Trump's Plan for Ukraine-Russia Peace
In the interview, Trump said he had a plan to end the war, though he did not reveal specifics. He did, however, hint at a possible deal with Ukraine for $500 million, which would grant the United States access to “Rare lands” Ukrainian – rich in precious minerals and gas – in exchange for security guarantees for Kiev.
Trump also floated the idea of meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky as early as next week, demonstrating his willingness to speed up negotiations.
A Possible Trump-Putin Summit: Saudi Arabia or Emirates?
The rumors about a possible Trump and Putin meet are becoming more and more insistent. Among the hypothesized locations are theSaudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, countries that are allies of the United States but do not recognize the International Criminal Court. This would ensure that Putin can participate without the risk of arrest related to the warrant issued by the Hague tribunal for war crimes.
It remains to be seen whether Trump's intentions will translate into a concrete result. Dialogue with Putin, however significant, is not enough to guarantee a rapid resolution of the conflict, given the still distant positions of the parties involved.
