
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted President Trump's call to end the Ukraine war, expressing agreement to meet with Trump and discuss ways to conclude the conflict.
Putin also complimented Trump, claiming that "if Trump were in power, the Ukraine crisis could have been avoided." In an interview with a Russian TV channel, Putin stated, "We believe in the current president's declarations of willingness to cooperate. We are always open to this and ready for negotiations. It's better to meet, based on today's reality, to speak calmly."
Putin described his relations with Trump as "businesslike, pragmatic, and trustworthy" and argued that the Ukraine crisis could have been averted if Trump had been in power. "I cannot disagree with Trump that if his victory had not been stolen in 2020, then perhaps the Ukraine crisis that arose in 2022 might not have happened," Putin said.
The Russian President also noted that negotiations with Ukraine were complicated due to the fact that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree preventing him from engaging in talks with Putin. During his election campaign, President Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump recently mentioned that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy told him he "would like to reach a deal," and Trump urged Putin to meet to attempt to end the war. "I think Russia should want to make an agreement. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think, from what I hear, Putin would like to meet me. We'll meet as soon as we can. I would meet immediately. Every day we don't meet, soldiers are dying on the battlefield," Trump added.