Trump reportedly offered to hand Crimea and eastern Ukraine to Putin, Austria claims
Photo: Austria's Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (Getty Images)
Austria's Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said in an interview with Die Welt that Trump was ready to "hand over" Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine to Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Putin chose to keep fighting.
The Minister said the situation is clear: Ukraine wants peace, while Russia does not. Putin would have already started negotiations to end the war if he were truly interested in peace.
She said Trump had effectively offered Putin Crimea and several eastern regions of Ukraine, and even ruled out Ukraine's NATO membership. Yet, Putin chose to continue his war of destruction against Ukraine.
Meinl-Reisinger also rejected claims that Russia holds an advantage on the battlefield. She reminded that the Kremlin is suffering massive losses in Ukraine, and Putin won't be able to ignore this forever.
The Minister said that coffins will continue to pile up in Russia, and combined with the country's worsening economic crisis, it is becoming harder for the Kremlin to sustain the war. According to her, Putin realizes he is running out of time, which is why he is escalating the war with such brutal intensity.
Trump issued an ultimatum to Russia
Earlier, Trump expressed frustration with Putin over the lack of progress in peace talks on Ukraine. He promised to impose tough economic measures against Russia if the Kremlin continues to stall.
Trump gave Putin 50 days to reach an agreement. Later, when asked about this strict deadline, Trump said things would go "too badly" for Russia if it failed to meet the timeline.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump is losing patience with Putin over the deadlocked talks on Ukraine. The President has not ruled out imposing restrictions on Russia even earlier than the 50-day deadline.
