Last night, President Donald Trump said Russia's war in Ukraine could have been "solved very easily," as he criticized Kiev's negotiating skills.
According to foreign media, in comments he made after an extraordinary meeting between senior American and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, the American president said of Ukraine: "They've had a seat [at the table] for three years and a long time before that."
"You should never have started it. You could have made a deal," Trump said, as he appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war, writes A2 CNN.
While touting his negotiating skills, Trump also said he was "more confident" about a peace deal after Tuesday's talks, which were attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
On the talks in Saudi Arabia
Asked if he was more or less certain of a peace deal after yesterday's talks in Saudi Arabia, Trump said he was "much more certain."
"They were very good," he added, referring to the talks, writes A2 CNN.
For European troops in Ukraine
The United Kingdom and France have suggested they could send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of a peace deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said such proposals, from NATO or any other country, would be "unacceptable," although Trump disagreed.
"If they want to do that, that would be fine," he said, adding that the US "would not object to that at all."
"I know France has mentioned it. Others have mentioned it, Great Britain has mentioned it," Trump said, calling it a "nice gesture."
On Ukraine's absence from talks
He said: "I'm very disappointed. I've heard that, you know, they're upset that they don't have a place."
"Well, they've had a place for three years and a long time before that. This could have been resolved very easily."
On the presidential elections in Ukraine
"We have a situation where we haven't had an election in Ukraine, where we have martial law, essentially martial law in Ukraine, where the leader in Ukraine, I mean, I hate to say this, but he's down to 4% approval."
He added: "If Ukraine wants a seat at the table, shouldn't people say it's been a long time since they had an election?"
"This is not a Russian thing, this is something that comes from me and also comes from many other countries," Trump said further, writes A2 CNN.
On previous talks with Putin
"I think everyone knew this is something that should never have happened, never would have happened," he said.
"And I discussed it with Putin. President Putin and I talked about Ukraine," Trump said.
"But he never, ever had a chance to go in. And I said, 'You better not go in, don't go in, don't go in.' And he understood that and he understood it completely."
Trump added that he will probably meet with Putin before the end of the month, writes A2 CNN. (A2 Televizion)
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