President Trump expressed skepticism about the likelihood of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He mentioned that “they probably need to fight a little more” to arrive at a resolution for the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe.
In an interview with The Daily Caller, Trump conveyed some optimism about the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving himself, even while feeling uncertain about a direct meeting between the two Eastern European leaders. “A [trilateral] meeting will happen… a [bilateral] I don’t know, but an attempt will be made. Sometimes people just aren’t ready for it, as you know,” he shared with White House correspondent Reagan Reese in an interview released on Saturday.
“I tend to view it like this: you have kids on a playground. After a while, they’re content… Do you see what I mean? It’s kind of like that. Sometimes, they need to have a little scuffle before things settle down,” he explained.
“But really, this situation has been ongoing for quite a while. Many lives have been lost,” he added.
Trump is advocating for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin as part of efforts to finish a conflict that has been dragging on for about three and a half years. Zelensky, who met with Trump earlier this month, has shown a willingness to engage with Putin, but so far, Russian officials have declined to participate.
Currently, it appears that Russia is slowly ramping up its efforts to mediate a peace agreement. Ukraine, however, has firmly rejected any proposal that involves significant territorial concessions, while discussions among Western and European officials continue regarding potential security guarantees to deter future invasions.
Trump reiterated that he does not support deploying U.S. troops on the ground for security assistance, although he indicated he would consider providing air support. “Maybe we’ll find a way to help out. We want to see some resolution. They’re not our soldiers, but around 5,000 to 7,000, mostly young individuals, are being killed each week,” he told Reese. “If we can intervene and maybe provide some aerial support occasionally, that would mostly involve European forces, but we’d contribute as well.”
“They understand their need for this, and if we can help with that, they’ll appreciate it,” he noted.
Following a meeting with Putin in Alaska earlier this month, U.S. officials reported that Russia had made significant concessions, which included offering Ukraine “NATO-like” security guarantees as part of the peace process. However, the status of those commitments remains unclear, with Russia appearing to dispute what those security guarantees entail.
One of the Kremlin’s main concerns is the involvement of European peacekeepers, suggesting that China could also play a role as a security guarantor.
Though peace negotiations seem stalled, the conflict rages on, with Russia launching a major air assault on Ukraine. Just last Thursday, Moscow carried out extensive missile and drone attacks on Kiev, resulting in the deaths of 23 individuals and wounding many more.
Later that same day, the Trump administration authorized the sale of 3,350 extended-range attack missiles and an equal number of GPS units to Ukraine, as part of a broader $825 million arms package aimed at bolstering Kiev’s defense capabilities.
