US President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed plans for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, though he did not specify a date for the talks.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump remarked, “He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” according to BBC reports.
Russian news agency Tass, quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, stated that the US has yet to make a formal meeting request.
Trump has been vocal about his intent to negotiate peace in Ukraine, expressing doubts about continued military and financial support for Kyiv.
“President Putin wants to meet,” Trump said, adding, “He has even said so publicly, and we have to get that war over with. It’s a bloody mess.”
For his second term, Trump has selected Keith Kellogg, a retired US Army lieutenant general and former national security adviser, to act as special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.
Kellogg’s peace strategy, outlined in a paper by the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute, suggests tying US aid to Ukraine’s willingness to engage in peace talks with Moscow.
However, it also advocates continuing support if Russia refuses to negotiate.
Following Trump’s election, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that the conflict would end sooner under Trump’s administration.
In a recent phone call, Zelensky described their exchange as “constructive” but declined to disclose whether any specific demands were discussed regarding potential negotiations with Russia.