Putin says he's ready to meet with Trump to discuss Ukraine war - but is waiting for US to make a move
24 January 2025, 16:01
Vladimir Putin has said he is ready to meet with Donald Trump to discuss the Ukraine war - but that he is waiting for a signal from the US government.
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The Russian president has said it would be "better" to meet Trump, after the newly-inaugurated US president called for him to end the war and threatened further sanctions.
Putin said: "Most likely, it would be better for us to meet, based on the realities of today, to talk calmly on all those areas that are of interest to both the United States and Russia.
"We are ready. But, I repeat, this primarily, of course, depends on the decisions and choices of the current American administration."
Putin also repeated Trump's false claim of election fraud against him in 2020, and said that he would not have invaded if the Republican had been in power in 2022.
He said: "I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president and his victory had not been stolen from him in 2020, there might not have been the crisis in Ukraine that arose in 2022."
On Wednesday Trump issued Putin with an ultimatum over ending the war.
Read more: US announces fresh wave of sanctions on Russia ahead of Trump's return to White House
Vladimir Putin indicates he's willing to meet Donald Trump
The president, who came to power again on Monday, said he loved the Russian people - but that he would put "high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions" on products coming into the US from Russia.
Russia is already under severe sanctions from the US, including energy import bans, financial punishments and export restrictions.
Mr Trump is known to be seeking to end the war in Ukraine, which began nearly three years ago when Russia invaded.
Mr Trump said on his Truth Social website: "I'm not looking to hurt Russia."I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin."
"All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big favour," he said.
"Settle now, and stop this ridiculous war," he wrote, adding that the war is "only going to get worse".
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"If we don't make a 'deal' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," he said.
He added: "We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better."
"It's time to make a deal. No more lives should be lost."
A Russian official responded to Mr Trump's comments later.
"It's not merely the question of ending the war," Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's deputy envoy to the United Nations said.
It's first and foremost the question of addressing root causes of Ukrainian crisis.
"So we have to see what does the 'deal' mean in President Trump's understanding."
