President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday a meeting was being set up between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Republican offered no timeline for talks between the leaders.
Trump’s return to the White House on Jan. 20 has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Russia’s war with Ukraine that began in February 2022, but it has also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.
Advisers to Trump have floated proposals to end the war that would effectively cede large parts of the country to Russia for the near future.
“He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” Trump said in remarks before a meeting with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess.”
Since Russia’s invasion began, the U.S. under President Joe Biden has committed more than $175 billion in aid for Ukraine, including more than $60 billion in security assistance.