In an ABC News interview marking his first 100 days in office, President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin might want peace in Ukraine, though he acknowledged Putin could be misleading him.
“I would say that he would like to stop the war,” Trump told ABC News anchor Terry Moran in the Oval Office on 29 April. “I think because of me, he’s willing to stop the fighting.”
However, Trump admitted doubt, referencing his recent social media post questioning Putin’s intentions after missile strikes on Ukrainian civilian areas. “It’s possible. Yeah, that’s possible. Sure. He could be tapping me along a little bit,” Trump said.
The president claimed Putin’s original goal was to take all of Ukraine, something he believes was prevented by his election.
“I think if I didn’t win the election, he would have gotten all of Ukraine,” Trump said.
When asked if he trusts Putin, Trump deflected, saying, “I don’t trust a lot of people. But I do think this…let’s say he respects me. And I believe because of me he’s not gonna take over the whole [country].”
The US President Donald Trump vowed to end the war within the first 100 days of his presidency. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on 27 April that the next week will determine whether the US remains involved in the peace process or withdraws as a mediator altogether.
US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 26 April in Rome, where both leaders attended Pope Francis’s funeral, which marked the first meeting since a tense encounter at the White House in February.
Following the 15-minute meeting, the White House said that it was “a very productive discussion.” Trump called the meeting “beautiful” and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to demonstrate commitment to ending the war.
“I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” Trump said of Putin. “We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it and just go back to life.”
Read also:
- Trump promised peace in Ukraine. Instead, he held a gun to Kyiv’s head.
- Trump once again urges Putin to “stop shooting” and make deal
- Pistorius says Trump peace plan would mean Ukraine capitulation
