We don't need a ceasefire to start talks with Russia, Trump says

US President Donald Trump, speaking to the media in the Oval Office with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said that he no longer considers a ceasefire necessary for future negotiations with Russia.

Source: European Pravda, citing Trump

Details: Trump was reminded that he warned Russia there would be "severe consequences" if the Kremlin did not agree to some type of ceasefire, and he was asked whether these consequences would come.

The US president said in response that he no longer considers a ceasefire a necessary step.

"I don't think we need a ceasefire. If you look at the six deals that I settled this year, they were all in war. I didnʼt do any ceasefires. It might be good to have, but I can also understand strategically why one country or the other wouldn’t want it," Trump said.

Trump went on to say that if you have a ceasefire, the parties build up forces, and the result is a "hot" war again.

"I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason: because you'd stop killing people immediately, as opposed to in two weeks or one week, or whatever it takes. But we can work a deal where we're working on a peace deal while they're fighting. I'd like them to stop, but strategically, that could be a disadvantage for one side or the other," the US president said.

Trump referred again to "the six deals", which he did "without even a mention of the word ‘ceasefire’".

Background: 

• On 28 July, Trump said that the United States would impose tariffs and other measures against Russia within 10 days if Moscow did not show progress in ending the war in Ukraine.
• The deadline that Trump set for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin expired on 8 August.

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