Trump plans swift Putin meeting
Donald Trump (Photo: Getty Images)
The US President-elect Donald Trump intends to meet with Vladimir Putin as soon as possible, stating that the end of the war against Ukraine depends on him, Reuters reports.
In an interview with Newsmax, Trump said he would like to meet Putin shortly after his inauguration on January 20.
"And I know he wants to meet and I'm going to meet very quickly. I would've done it sooner but...you have to get into the office. For some of the things, you do have to be there," he said.
When Trump was asked about his strategy to end the war, he told Newsmax:
"Well, there's only one strategy, and it's up to Putin, and I can't imagine he's too thrilled about the way it's gone because it hasn't gone exactly well for him either."
Trump again blamed his predecessor, President Joe Biden, for all the problems.
"We wouldn't have had any wars. You wouldn't have had Russia-Ukraine. We shouldn't have ever had Israel; Israel would not have been attacked by Iran, which because ultimately, it was Iran that did it," he said in the Newsmax interview.
Trump called Biden's presidency a terrible four years.
"And I think probably that's why [Russian President Vladimir] Putin invaded; when he saw the incompetence of [Gen. Mark] Milley and these people, he said, 'Wow, these people are not so good. We're going to go and do the invasion of Ukraine.' I really think that was a big, a big factor," Trump declared.
Recall that US Congressman Mike Waltz, a future national security adviser, said he expects a phone call between Trump and Putin in the "coming days and weeks." Putin's side has also announced their readiness to meet Trump without any conditions.
Several countries are already offering their territories for a Trump-Putin meeting. One of them is Switzerland.
Joe Biden has not spoken with Putin since the invasion. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court.
