President Donald Trump announced on Friday that his administration has already engaged in "very serious" discussions with Russia regarding its ongoing war in Ukraine, hinting that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take "significant" steps toward ending the conflict. "We will be speaking, and I think we will perhaps do something significant," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president." While Trump did not disclose which members of his administration have been in contact with Russia, he insisted that "talks are already happening." When asked whether he had personally spoken with Putin, he remained evasive, stating, "I don't want to say that." Since his return to the White House, Trump has been vocal in his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, arguing that he should have negotiated with Putin to prevent the war. In a Fox News interview earlier in January, Trump ridiculed Zelenskyy, stating, "They were brave, but we gave them billions of dollars," in reference to the extensive U.S. military and economic aid sent to Kyiv. Putin, for his part, recently praised Trump in an interview with Russian state television, describing him as a "clever and pragmatic man" who prioritizes U.S. interests. The Russian leader claimed that if Trump had remained in office, the war in Ukraine might have been avoided. "We always had a business-like, pragmatic but also trusting relationship," Putin remarked. The Russian president also echoed Trump's unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 U.S. election, saying that the Ukraine crisis might never have happened had Trump not been "robbed" of victory. However, multiple courts, federal and local officials, former campaign staffers, and even Trump's former attorney general have all dismissed any claims of election fraud. Trump has frequently promised a swift resolution to the war if re-elected, while criticizing President Joe Biden's administration for its financial and military support of Ukraine. His relationship with Putin has been under scrutiny since his 2016 presidential campaign when he publicly called on Russia to release missing emails belonging to his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump has also been criticized for siding with Putin over U.S. intelligence officials regarding Russia's interference in the 2016 election and has previously described the Russian president as "pretty smart" for his invasion of Ukraine. — Agencies
