Trump hints at possible land concession to Russia
President-elect Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Ukraine should consider giving up part of its territory to Russia, citing the extensive destruction in the occupied areas. He added that he might reconsider the decision to allow Ukraine to use American missiles to strike Russia.
"You know it’s nice to say they want their land back, but the cities are largely destroyed," Trump said during a Monday press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
When asked if he believes Ukraine should relinquish 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, stressing that the scale of destruction and casualties necessitates ending this war. He also mentioned that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, seeks peace.
Trump admitted that resolving the conflict would be difficult and once more expressed his disapproval of Joe Biden's decision, which allowed 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 it was, in fact, a response to the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war.
"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 said. When asked if he would reverse this decision upon returning to power, he suggested he might.
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 disclosed plans to meet with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. Still, he once again declined to confirm if, as reported by The Washington Post, he had already spoken on the phone with the Russian president.
