Trump urges Putin to ‘make a deal’ to end the war in Ukraine

President Trump on Thursday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, arguing he thinks the latter is ready to negotiate.

A reporter asked Trump in the Oval Office if he thinks sanctions on Russia will force Putin to negotiations after the president threatened this week to impose tariffs and sanctions if there is no deal to stop the fighting in Ukraine “soon.”

“I don’t know, but I think he should make a deal,” Trump said.

He was also asked if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told him he’s ready to make a deal, after Trump suggested so earlier in the day.

“Yeah, sure. He’s ready to negotiate a deal,” the president said. “He’s somebody that’s lost a lot of soldiers and so did Russia, lost a lot. Russia’s lost more soldiers.”

Earlier Thursday, in remarks to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said he would like to meet with Putin “soon” to push for an end of the war in Ukraine. He also said he hoped China can help end the war, and Trump reiterated later on Thursday that he thinks China has power over Russia.

“It’s a very big trading partner. But, Russia supplies a lot of energy to China and China pays them a lot of money for that, and I think they have a lot of power over Russia. So. I think Russia should want to make a deal. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think, from what I hear, Putin would like to see me meet as soon as we can. I’d meet immediately,” he said in the Oval Office.

Trump has called for a ceasefire in Ukraine for months, urging both sides to negotiate. He has insisted that the war in Ukraine wouldn’t have happened if he were president at the time of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

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