US leading 'very constructive talks on Ukraine,' Trump says
The U.S. is in contact with both the Russian and Ukrainian leadership about the war, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 4, calling the talks "constructive."
"But we are having very good talks, very constructive talks on Ukraine. And we are talking to the Russians. We're talking to the Ukrainian leadership," Trump said during a press conference in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump has pledged to broker a swift peace deal and end the full-scale war nearing its three-year mark but has not revealed specifics on how he plans to achieve that.
Ukraine has said it is in contact with Trump's team and finalizing details for the first visit of a U.S. delegation, including a special presidential envoy, Keith Kellogg.
The U.S. president also previously voiced intent to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ending the diplomatic isolation imposed on the Kremlin's chief by former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Moscow welcomed Trump's offer but said no concrete plans have been set for the meeting.
"This is an absolute slaughter that's taking place on the beautiful farmlands of Ukraine, and we have to stop it... It's a human tragedy, and we're going to try very hard to stop it," Trump said, reiterating his previous claims that the invasion would never have happened if he were in office at the time.
Trump's past criticism of Biden's support for Ukraine and his open sympathies for the Russian leader have sparked concerns he might reduce assistance or cut a deal unfavorable to Kyiv.
Since taking office, the U.S. president has adopted a more confrontational stance toward Moscow, threatening tariffs and sanctions unless Putin agrees to negotiate.
Dominic Culverwell
