Donald Trump has issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin just hours after taking office following his inauguration.
Trump said that Putin is ‘destroying Russia’ and urged him to ‘make a deal’ with Ukraine to end the war.
Trump said: ‘He has to make a deal. I think he is destroying Russia by not making a deal.
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‘I think Russia is going to be in big trouble.
‘I mean, he works hard, but most people thought the war would be over in about a week, and now it’s been three years, right?’
Trump warned that inflation is a major threat to Russia and that the Russian economy is sinking.
Putin said he wants an outcome that favours Russia but said he would be open to talking to Trump.
A phone call between the pair is expected to take place soon.
He also said that he plans to meet with Putin at some point, with whom he had a ‘great relationship’ with during his first term.
The Russian President said: ‘We are open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis.
‘We’re going to try to do it as quickly as possible. You know, the war between Russia and Ukraine should never have started.’
While he was sat in the Oval Office, Trump also said Zelensky is ready for a deal.
Trump also joked about his campaign promise to end the conflict in 24 hours.
He said: ‘That’s only half a day. I have the other half of the day. We’ll see.’
In response to Trump’s inauguration, Putin said: ‘We see statements by the newly elected President of the United States and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, which were interrupted by the outgoing Administration through no fault of our own.
‘We also hear his statements about the need to do everything possible to prevent a Third World War.
‘Of course, we welcome this attitude and congratulate the President-elect of the United States of America on his assumption of office.
‘I would like to stress that we have never refused to engage in dialogue and have always been ready to maintain smooth and cooperative relations with any American administration, as I have said on numerous occasions.
‘We are also open for dialogue with the new US Administration on the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis….’
During the first Trump administration, Trump weakened the toughest sanctions imposed by the US after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
During this period, Trump also supported a potential return of Russia to the G7.
Trump also drew criticism for accepting Putin’s denial of Russian interference in the election, rather than the findings of US intelligence services.
Trump has often praised Putin as a winner and a strong man and Putin has often admired Trump’s transactional approach to politics.
When it was announced that Trump had won the election in 2024, it was met with a guarded response from Putin.
According to the Washington Post, Trump talked with Putin on November 7, and warned him against any escalation in Ukraine and reminded him of ‘Washington’s sizeable military presence in Europe’.
This was a phone call that the Kremlin denied happened.
One point that Putin is aware of this time around is the unpredictability that Trump can bring.
But on the flipside, Putin will welcome the sense this unpredictability will bring with America’s allies and countries in Europe.
What is a possibility is that the Trump-Putin relationship could over this administration determine the outcome of the war in Ukraine.
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2025-01-21T08:18:06Z