E-Paper
Trump might ‘do nothing’ if Putin, Zelensky don't meet to end Ukraine war
Trump said he first wanted to see whether Putin and Zelensky would meet. “I think I'll know. I think I'll know the attitude of Russia, and, frankly, of Ukraine”
US President Donald Trump on Friday set a two-week time frame to make an "important" decision on the peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, saying that either Russia could face massive sanctions or he might "do nothing".
Earlier this week, Trump met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House. Zelensky signalled his openness to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
Last week, the US President met Putin in Alaska and expressed satisfaction after the talks with the Russian leader.
After his meetings with Zelensky and the EU leaders, Trump said that he had begun arranging for a bilateral meeting between Putin and the Ukrainian President, following which a trilateral meet with the US President might take place.
ALSO READ | 'Good chance of ending Russia-Ukraine war': What Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky said after key meeting
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Donald Trump said he was "not happy" about a Russian strike on Thursday that hit a US-owned factory in Ukraine. "I'm not happy about anything having to do with that war," he added.
The US President said he first wanted to see whether Putin and Zelensky would meet. "I think I'll know. I think I'll know the attitude of Russia, and, frankly, of Ukraine. It takes two," Trump responded to a question on what he would do at the end of the two-week time frame he set for assessing the peace talks situation.
"Then I'm going to make a decision as to what we do and it's going to be a very important decision," Trump said. He added, "That's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both. Or do we do nothing and say it's your fight."
Trump also showed off a picture of himself and Putin from their Alaska summit, which he said was sent to him by the Russian President.
ALSO READ | Trump dials Putin after Zelensky meet; says arranging for their bilateral talks
Meanwhile, Russia on Friday ruled out an immediate meeting with Zelensky, despite Trump saying on Monday that he was arranging a summit between the two.
Trump said that setting up a Zelensky-Putin summit was as hard as mixing "oil and vinegar".
"We're going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. You know, it's like oil and vinegar, a little bit. They don't get along too well, for obvious reasons," he told reporters.
