The deal making has begun, and President Trump is sending signals to all the players.
The status quo surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war is definitely being rattled by a new President in the United States who is applying pressure and offering carrots at the same time — neither of which the Biden administration was willing to do effectively.
President Trump said yesterday that he wants to meet with Putin “immediately” during a question and answer session.
He particularly emphasized that his willingness to leverage “massive tariffs” against Russia was not what he hoped would happen, but simply the backup plan if both sides fail to end the war soon.
Watch this clip:
Trump wants to meet with Putin soon! pic.twitter.com/i8W1pKnrL2
— JKash 🍊MAGA Queen (@JKash000) January 23, 2025
Shortly afterward it was circulating among the press that President Trump was calling for an “immediate” meeting with Putin.
🚨BREAKING: President Trump seeks immediate meeting with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy tells Trump he’s ready to negotiate a deal to end the war.
The president of peace 🔥
pic.twitter.com/EbNOWFagE8— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 23, 2025
Later in the day he had a sit-down interview on Fox News with Hannity.
President Trump talked about the entire situation in some detail with Hannity, including his assessment that Zelensky is ready to take a deal.
True to his usual off-the-cuff style, President Trump also said of Zelensky, “He’s no angel”, which would telegraph to both Putin and Zelensky his willingness to shake things up and think outside the usual box to come to an agreement on ending the war.
Watch this video of President Trump talking about the situation with Hannity:
Trump: "If they don't settle this war soon, I'm going to put massive tariffs on Russia. And I don't want to do that, but we've got to get this war ended. And Zelenskyy wants to settle now. He's had enough. He shouldn't have allowed this to happen either. He's no angel." pic.twitter.com/syihVSq9Zh
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 24, 2025
President Trump also said Zelensky is ready to negotiate, and he is hearing that Putin wants to meet with him soon, according to a report in Fox News:
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to negotiate a deal to end the war with Russia, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to meet soon.
Trump spoke to reporters after signing multiple executive orders Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office. When a reporter asked if Zelenskyy told him he was ready to negotiate a solution to the war with Russia, Trump provided confirmation.
“Yes, he’s ready to negotiate a deal. He’d like to stop this,” Trump said. “He’s somebody that lost a lot of soldiers, and so did Russia. … Russia lost more soldiers. They lost 800,000. Would you say that’s a lot? I’d say it’s a lot.”
He was also asked if sanctions on Russia would force Putin to negotiate.
ADVERTISEMENT“I don’t know, but I think he should make a deal,” Trump said.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Zelensky reportedly sounded horrified by the idea that Trump and Putin would meet soon.
Zelensky emphasized what he sees as a non-negotiable necessity for ending the war; U.S. boots on the ground, in the front lines, prepared to defend Ukraine alongside Ukrainian soldiers.
Fat chance, but there is likely some play being made by pushing that scenario — possibly hoping to create more pressure from inside Europe which is far more accepting of putting NATO troops on the ground.
Zelensky is horrified by the announced meeting between Trump and Putin :
We should be a priority for the Americans because we are allies of the United States, we are the victim, and Putin is the occupier. pic.twitter.com/3E7Z2PYVUQ
— SimonEri🗝️🌤️ (@Simonbitow3) January 22, 2025
Here is Zelensky yesterday arguing for the introduction of U.S. troops , which he defines as a must-have if peace is going to be achieved.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy now wants US troops on the ground in their corrupt NON NATO Country
Glad Trump won so we can tell this dork to pound sand
pic.twitter.com/qhNhh1n6tB— 🪶Native Patriot 🇺🇸 (@LaNativePatriot) January 22, 2025
President Trump, meanwhile, kept applying pressure to Zelensky by pointing out every hardship he now endures against Putin’s Russia.
He also called the Ukrainian President “no angel”, and laid the blame for the initiation of hostilities with Russia squarely at his feet, according to a story in Newsweek:
President Donald Trump has said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is “no angel” and suggested he shares the blame for the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
In his first sit-down interview since returning to the White House, Trump criticized Zelensky, saying that he “shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen.”
“Zelensky was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful,” Trump told Fox News. “He shouldn’t have done that, because we could have made a deal.”
In his interview, Trump criticized Zelensky for wanting to fight the war despite massive military deficiencies in comparison to Russia.
“First of all, he’s fighting a much bigger entity,” Trump said. “We started pouring equipment… and they [Ukraine] had the bravery to use the equipment, but in the end, it’s a war that has to be settled,” Trump said.
But he added that Zelensky has now “had enough” and “wants to settle” in order to secure peace.
He warned that the U.S. would impose “massive tariffs and massive taxes” on Russia if Putin does not agree to a peace deal soon.
With a renewed influx of political capital and a vision for setting not only America, but the world, back on a course away from hostilities and more firmly in the direction of prosperity, President Trump seems to have truly brought a possible end to the war in Ukraine within sight.
But it remains to be seen whether clarity and drive will result in a peace that can stand up to the beating it is going to take in the trenches.
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