Trump: I have leverage over Putin but I don’t want to talk about it
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that he has leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin but does not want to use it now, CNN reports.
Trump said that Putin had made a promising statement regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine. He also expressed willingness to meet with Putin to end the war.
Trump noted that if Russia refuses to agree to a ceasefire, it would be a “very disappointing moment for the world.”
"So a lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed. Now we’re going to see whether or not Russia is there, and if they’re not, it’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world," Trump said.
When asked whether the US has leverage over Putin, such as sanctions, Trump confirmed that leverage exists but he does not want to talk about it.
"I do have leverage, but I don’t want to talk about leverage now, because right now we’re talking to them, and based on the statements he made today, they were pretty positive I think," Trump added.
30-day ceasefire in Ukraine
Recently, negotiations between Ukrainian and American delegations took place in Saudi Arabia. As a result, Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire along the front line, and Kyiv supported the initiative.
Today, similar talks are set to take place in Russia, where an American delegation has arrived. However, Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov, stated that Moscow is not interested in temporary ceasefires with Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia has yet to provide a meaningful response to the 30-day ceasefire proposal. Kyiv is counting on US pressure to push Moscow to end the war.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that he agrees with the US idea of a ceasefire but noted that there are certain nuances.
