WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump said he had held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, discussing efforts to end the Moscow-Kyiv war, according to The New York Post.
Speaking to The Post on Friday, Trump declined to specify how many times the two leaders had spoken but insisted that Putin is eager to see an end to the conflict.
“He wants to see people stop dying,” Trump said. “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason.”
Trump asserted that the war, now in its third year, “never would have happened” if he had been the president in 2022. He contrasted his foreign policy approach with that of his predecessor Joe Biden, saying: “Biden was an embarrassment to our nation. A complete embarrassment.”
The president expressed urgency in resolving the war and emphasized he has a concrete plan to bring it to a close. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.”
Along with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz aboard Air Force One, Trump pressed for diplomatic talks. “Let’s get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying. Young handsome soldiers are being killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides. All over the battlefield.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Sunday that he could “neither confirm nor deny” the report, saying that communication between Russia and the US is carried out through different channels.
“Of course, against the background of the multiplicity of these communications, I personally may not know something, be unaware of something. Therefore, in this case, I can neither confirm nor deny it,” he said.
‘Nobody wants to die’
Vice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference next week.
Trump has proposed a $500 million deal with Ukraine to secure access to rare-earth minerals and gas in exchange for security guarantees in any potential peace agreement.
Turning to Iran, Trump signaled openness to a non-nuclear agreement, preferring negotiations over military action. “I would like a deal done with Iran on non-nuclear. I would prefer that to bombing the hell out of it. … They don’t want to die. Nobody wants to die.”
He suggested such an agreement could deter Israeli military action. “If we made the deal, Israel wouldn’t bomb them.” However, he remained vague on potential negotiation details. “In a way, I don’t like telling you what I’m going to tell them. You know, it’s not nice.”
“I’d tell them I’d make a deal,” Trump added, though he declined to specify what concessions he might offer. “I can’t say that because it’s too nasty. I won’t bomb them.”
