Moscow’s decision not to seize all of the country is a significant step toward peace, the US president has said
Russia has made a major concession in Ukraine peace talks by refraining from taking over the entire country, US President Donald Trump has said.
Speaking during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Thursday, Trump expressed optimism about achieving major progress in the settlement within two weeks.
Asked what concessions Russia was making in peace negotiations over Ukraine, the US president replied: “Stopping the war… Stop taking the whole country, pretty big concession.”
Moscow has long insisted that the Ukraine conflict could end quickly if Kiev commits to bloc neutrality and demilitarization, and recognizes the territorial realities on the ground, namely the decision by Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions to overwhelmingly vote to join Russia.
When pressed on whether Ukraine would have to cede territory to secure peace, Trump would not rule out the possibility, saying: “It depends [on] what territory. We’ll do the best we can, but they lost a lot of territory.”
However, the US leader also insisted that his administration was “putting a lot of pressure on Russia.”
His comments came after Trump signaled he was “not happy” with the recent Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, calling them “not necessary, and very bad timing.”“Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Ukrainian officials have claimed that 12 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the strikes, with Kiev taking the brunt of the damage. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted military-related industries, including rocket fuel and gunpowder production facilities. Moscow also maintains that its attacks never target civilians.
When asked whether he would consider additional sanctions against Russia if the attacks continue, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I want to see if we can have a deal. No reason to answer it now, but I won’t be happy.” he said. “Let me put it that way – things, things will happen.”
Commenting on the Ukraine conflict settlement process, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested on Thursday that Moscow and Washington are “moving in the right direction.”“We are ready to reach a deal. But there are still some specific points, elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this exact process,” he said.
