Trump: Zelenskyy and Putin are stupid if they do not agree a peace deal
US President Donald Trump has said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are at a point where they need to strike a peace deal and that if they do not do it "they're stupid".
Source: Trump speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 21 January, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine, a Ukrainian news agency
Quote: "I believe they're [Zelenskyy and Putin – ed.] at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done, and if they don't, they're stupid…
And I know they're not stupid. But if they don't get this done, they are stupid. So, I don't want to insult anyone, but you got to get this deal done. Too many people are dying. It's not worth it."
Details: Trump said that he had "settled eight wars plus", some of them "in the matter of hours". He added that he thought that the Russo-Ukrainian war would be one of the easiest to resolve, but said he had been wrong.
He also said that there was "tremendous" and "abnormal" hatred between Zelenskyy and Putin, calling it "not good for settlements". Trump said that a US negotiating delegation led by his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner "are working hard on this".
Quote: "And we're going to try getting a deal done. I think, Steve, I think I can say that we're reasonably close."
Background:
- Donald Trump has said at the World Economic Forum that he will meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos.
- Steve Witkoff has announced that he will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on 22 January. The Kremlin has confirmed this information.
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