US President Donald Trump has said Vladimir Putin is ‘destroying’ Russia by not making a deal to end the Ukraine war.
“He (Vladimir Putin) has to make a deal. I think he is destroying Russia by not making a deal,” Donald Trump said, The Sun reported.
“I mean, he’s grinding it out, but most people thought the war would be over in about a week, and now it’s been three years, right?” The Republican added.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on since February 24, 2022.
Trump is now back in office for a second and final term.
His reaction came after Putin, in an address to Russia’s security council, spoke about Trump’s statement on the need to prevent ‘World War 3.’
“We undoubtedly welcome such a disposition and congratulate the new US President. We are open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis,” the Kremlin head reportedly said.
An initial phone call between the two Presidents is expected to take place soon.
According to Trump, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is ‘ready’ for an agreement to pause the conflict with Russia.
Putin, Xi Jinping speak
Meanwhile Vladimir Putin spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in.
Putin emphasised that Russia-China relations are based on shared interests, equality and mutual benefits, noting that they don’t depend on ‘internal political factors’ and the ‘current international environment.’
“We jointly support the development of a more just multipolar global order and work to ensure indivisible security in Eurasia and the world as a whole,” Putin told Xi in remarks carried by the Russian state TV.
For his inauguration, Trump had invited Xi Jinping. The latter sent his Vice President Han Zheng for the ceremony.
