Trump says peace efforts in Ukraine continue and calls for meeting with Putin

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his administration’s efforts to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine “hopefully continue” and that he wants to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon.

In a much-anticipated address by video link at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said: “I would really like to meet with President Putin soon to end this war, and it’s not about the economy or anything. otherwise it is in terms of millions of lives being wasted.’

Trump in December said that Putin expressed interest in meeting him.

Without elaborating, Trump also said Thursday: “Our efforts to secure a peaceful settlement between Russia and Ukraine are, hopefully, continuing now. This is very important to do.”

He meanwhile suggested that the cause of the war was high oil pricesand called on the OPEC producer group to lower prices.

Earlier this week, Trump threatened to impose “high levels” of sanctions and tariffs on Russia if it “does not make a deal” to end the war against Ukraine.

His approach was praised by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in an interview with the WEF earlier on Thursday. Rutte told CNBC he was “very pleased” with Trump’s threat of sanctions. Dutch Prime Minister Deek Schoof also endorsed the president’s comments, telling CNBC that such sanctions would be “good pressure on Russia to act.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck a more skeptical tone during his speech in Davos on Tuesday, questioning whether Trump would “even notice Europe” during his presidency. Attending an event to promote Kyiv a set of peace proposals As the war nears its third anniversary, Zelensky also suggested that Trump might overlook Europe to broker peace talks on Ukraine, working with Russia and China.

Washington has already imposed sanctions against Russia, including shipping and energyalong with individuals believed to have supported the war effort. The US has also provided this the largest financial aid Ukraine of any nation, including military aid worth billions.

U.S. funding for Kiev has become increasingly politically contentious, with former U.S. President Joe Biden struggling to pass a foreign aid bill, including $60 billion in support for Ukraine in April 2024. Trump’s re-election in November raised questions about the future of the war, including whether Europe will increase its own contributions to Ukraine.

NATO chief Rutte told CNBC that Europe should also “strengthen” its sanctions to “stifle the Russian economy.”