Trump suggests Ukraine consider territorial concessions to Russia
President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Ukraine should consider giving up some of its territory to Russia, citing the level of destruction in the occupied areas. He also indicated that he might reconsider the decision allowing Ukraine to use American missiles for attacks on Russia.
- You know it’s nice to say they want their land back, but the cities are largely destroyed - said Trump during a press conference on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Later, when asked if he believed Ukraine should surrender its territories to Russia, he replied, "We’ll be talking to President Putin, and we’ll be talking to President Zelenskyy and representatives from Ukraine. We’ve got to stop it."
There are cities where not a single building is still standing, so people cannot return there, he said, emphasizing that the scale of destruction and casualties necessitates ending this war. He also added that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, seeks peace.
Trump acknowledged that resolving the conflict will be challenging and once again expressed outrage over Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use American ATACMS ballistic missiles against targets inside Russia.
Trump on Biden's decision: A big mistake
He claimed that this decision "brought in the Koreans," although in reality, it was a response to the presence of North Korean soldiers involved in the conflict.
- I don’t think that should have been allowed. Certainly not just weeks before I take over. I thought it was a very stupid thing to do - he assessed. When asked if, upon returning to power, he would reverse this decision, he said that he might do so.
Trump announced that he is "working every day to put the world at ease a little bit, to get rid of the wars." He also stated that he would meet with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he again refused to confirm whether he had already spoken on the phone with the Russian president, as reported by "The Washington Post."
