Donald Trump said the main obstacle to a Ukraine-Russia agreement remains the same factors that have stalled talks for months
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WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said the main obstacle to a Ukraine-Russia agreement remains the same factors that have stalled talks for months, describing the conflict as complex and insisting it was not his war.
“Look, this is a war. This Biden's war. This isn't my war,” Trump said when asked about the hold-up in reaching a deal. “This is a war that should have never happened, but it's complex, because you have beats and bounds, you have streets, you have rivers, you have everything,” he told reporters abroad Air Force One on his way back from Davos to Washington.
Trump said disputes over territory and boundaries have prolonged the fighting. “Where does it end? So it's a little bit complicated,” he said, adding that similar issues had arisen in other conflicts he claimed to have resolved quickly. “I got them done fast in days, and this one is just going on.”
The president said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky now appear open to an agreement, though he stopped short of predicting a breakthrough. “I'm not making any predictions. There are no changes,” Trump said. “I think that President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.”
Trump said Zelensky traveled to meet him and conveyed his desire to reach an agreement. “He said he'd like to make a deal,” Trump said. “Because people know the parameters. It's not like, you know, we're discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months.”
He said conditions inside Ukraine were severe, particularly during winter. “It's really tough for the people of Ukraine,” Trump said, describing areas where people live without heat in extreme cold. “That's no way to live.”
On Greenland, Trump said the administration was working toward a framework arrangement and suggested clarity would emerge soon. “We'll have something in two weeks,” he said, adding there was “a good spirit to get something done.” He emphasised the need for freedom of action and pointed to US military strength. “We have a great military. I built a great military,” he said, citing weapons capabilities and the pace of defense production.
Trump also spoke at length about Venezuela, praising what he described as strong leadership and outlining oil flows to the United States. “Over 50 million barrels of oil is already moved or moving into the United States, and much more to come,” he said. Trump said the arrangement would benefit both countries. “Our country will become richer, and that means our taxes are going to be going down and they will do better. Venezuela is going to do better than they've ever done.”
Asked about JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon, Trump said he had not spoken with him since a lawsuit and accused the bank of cutting off services. “He debanked me,” Trump said. “You shouldn't be debanked.” He said commentators believed he had a strong legal case.
On Iran, Trump said the US had deployed significant military assets while expressing a preference to avoid conflict. “We have a big flotilla going in that direction,” he said. Trump claimed he intervened to stop mass executions. “I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday,” he said, adding that the action was canceled after his warning.
Trump said talks with Iran had occurred previously and referenced past US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. “That was a total Obliteration,” he said.
The president also addressed his potential role beyond his current term, saying he could remain involved in peace efforts. “I have the right to be if I want,” he said, referring to the Board of Peace. He said it could work with the United Nations, which he said had “great potential.”
On domestic policy, Trump said he was not enthusiastic about allowing people to tap retirement accounts for home purchases. “I'm not a huge fan,” he said, noting strong performance in retirement funds.