By Sama Marwan,
Former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Putin wants to see an end to the loss of life.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump made the remarks, though CNN noted that it was unclear when the two leaders last spoke, how many times they had conversed, or whether they had communicated since Trump’s inauguration in January.
Trump declined to disclose the number of conversations he had with Putin but boasted about his strong relationship with the Russian leader.
The former president reiterated his hope that the Russia-Ukraine war, now approaching its third year, would end quickly. He previously claimed that he could resolve the conflict within “24 hours” of taking office.
Trump told the New York Post, “I hope this happens soon. People are dying every day. This war is terrible for Ukraine, and I want this damn thing to end.”
Last week, Trump stated that negotiations to end the war had made significant progress.
During the interview, conducted aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump directed his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, to facilitate these discussions. He emphasized, “They want us to meet. Every day, people are dying—young soldiers are being killed, young men like my sons, on both sides of the battlefield.”
On Friday, Trump told reporters that he would likely meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week and hinted at potential further discussions with Putin.
Zelensky is expected to lead Ukraine’s delegation at the Munich Security Conference, which will also be attended by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg. However, Trump himself is not scheduled to attend.
Last week, Trump suggested that U.S. aid to Ukraine should be conditional on securing access to the country’s rare earth minerals.
