US President Donald Trump says Russia has made a “great concession” to end the war in Ukraine by not taking the “whole country”.
Trump insists that he puts “a lot of pressure on Russia” and that is why President Vladimir Putt “speaks right now”.
“I think he wants to conclude an agreement, we will discover it very soon, but it takes two in Tango,” said Trump.
Trump made these comments at an oval office meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Ukraine and a large part of Europe have fiercely rejected this notion, arguing that it is hardly a concession so that Russia interrupts its taking of land.
Earlier Thursday, Trump published what for him is a rare poutine reprimand after Russia hit Kyiv for hours with missiles and drones, killing at least 12 people and injuring 90 in the deadliest assault in the capital in almost a year.
“I am not satisfied with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. Not necessary, and a very bad timing. Vladimir, stop! 5,000 soldiers per week are dying. ” Trump posted on his social platform Truth. “Let's do the peace agreement!”
Responding to journalists questioning his choice of words and his direct reference to his Russian counterpart, Trump said: “I did not like last night. I was not satisfied with that. ”
“We are talking about peace and missiles have been dismissed. And I was not satisfied with that. This is what I meant, “added the 47th American president.
Just before Trump and the Norwegian Prime Minister on a visit to thwart in the west wing of the White House, Trump said that he believed that Russia and Ukraine “both want peace” and the end of the conflict.
“There is a lot of very bad blood, a lot of mistrust, but I hope we will get there for many young people who die,” he noted
“I have my own deadline, and we want it to be fast.”
The president's tone was more optimistic about the prospects that an agreement could be concluded than in his previous publications on social networks.
On Wednesday, he strongly criticized his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy after postponing an American proposal which included the territory of the famous kyiv that Russia seized Ukraine.
