President Trump Ready To Meet President Putin Soon To End Ukraine's War

JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said he wanted to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible to end the war in Ukraine, expressing his desire to seek to cut nuclear weapons.

Prior to the general election on November 5, the Republican politician repeatedly stated that he would reach an agreement between Russia-Ukraine to end the war on the first day in office or earlier.

Now, his advisers recognize the settlement of the war in Ukraine will take months.

"I really want to be able to meet with President Putin soon to end the war," President Trump told the World Economic Forum at Davos via video link.

"And that's not from an economic point of view or anything else. It's from the point of view that millions of lives were wasted. It was a massacre. And we really have to stop the war," said President Trump.

The US president told participants at the Davos that Uncle Sam's country's efforts to secure a peaceful settlement are now expected to take place, but provide no further details.

Speaking at the White House in the afternoon, President Trump told reporters he was ready to meet Putin as soon as possible to end what he called a ridiculous war.

"From what I heard, (President) Putin wanted to meet me, and we will go as soon as possible. I will see you soon," Trump said.

"Every day we don't meet, soldiers are killed on the battlefield," he added.

President Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had told him he was ready to make a deal to end the war that has been going on since February 2022.

Earlier this week, Trump threatened to impose "high-level" sanctions on Russia and tariffs on imports from there if Moscow did not reach a settlement.

President Trump also told the public on Thursday he wanted to work to cut nuclear weapons, adding he thought Russia and China might support reducing their own weapons capabilities.

"We want to see denuclearization and I will tell you, President Putin really likes the idea of reducing nuclear. And I think the whole world, we will get them to follow, and China will too," said President Trump.