Trump expressed confidence in Putin's desire to hold talks with him on Ukraine

US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed confidence in the desire of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to hold talks with him on Ukraine. The politician shared his plans while speaking to journalists on January 7 at his residence in Mar-a-Lago (Florida).

Responding to a question about a possible meeting with Putin, Trump said he had no intention of meeting with him before the inauguration.

"Well, I can't tell you that (about plans to meet. - Ed.), but I know Putin would like to meet. I don't think it would be appropriate to meet before January 20 .... This conflict should never have happened. I guarantee you, if I were president, this conflict would never have happened," CNN reported him as saying.

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On this day, Trump called President Joe Biden 's "fiasco" the cause of the conflict in Ukraine. The Republican assured that his team knows how to act in the context of this crisis.

Earlier, on October 17, 2024, Trump said that the personal responsibility for the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine lies with the president of this country, Vladimir Zelensky, whose powers expired in May 2024. The Ukrainian leader, according to the Republican, should never have allowed this crisis to begin.

Later, on December 27, it was reported that Trump intends to end the conflict in Ukraine, but probably believes that this is possible if Kiev is strong.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, told reporters on December 26 that Russia intends to end the conflict in Ukraine, not just freeze it.

Trump's team said on December 13 that it was holding talks with Ukrainian officials and the current White House administration on resolving the conflict. Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, then also admitted the end of this crisis in the coming months.

Before that, on December 3, the Kellogg Plan, developed in April, was published, which described a way to end the Ukrainian conflict. According to Trump's special envoy, it is necessary to abandon pressure on Moscow and Kiev, as well as attempts to isolate Russia. In addition, it is necessary to more actively stimulate a peaceful resolution of the crisis. Kellogg suggested keeping the liberated territories for Russia, easing sanctions and normalizing relations between Washington and Moscow.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the aggravated situation in the region.