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Russian officials make ultimatums on NATO, Ukraine as Saudi Arabia peace talks begin

U.S. and Russian officials held peace talks in Saudi Arabia without any Ukrainian officials present on Tuesday.

Russia’s foreign ministry issued several ultimatums as the talks began early Tuesday morning. Russian officials noted that Ukrainian membership in NATO is unacceptable, and they said a simple refusal by NATO to allow Ukraine to join is not a sufficient protection. Instead, Russian officials said NATO must disavow promises of Ukrainian membership in NATO made during a 2008 summit in Bucharest.

The groups, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, are seeking terms for a peace agreement in Ukraine as well as negotiating a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The two groups broke for a working lunch at roughly 2 p.m. local time.

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS/Leah Millis/Alina Smutko)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country would never accept peace terms negotiated by the U.S. and Russia without Ukrainian involvement. Trump has vowed that Ukraine will be involved in the larger process.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff emphasized on Sunday that the ongoing meeting in Riyadh is more about “trust building” than getting into the details of an actual peace agreement.

Zelenskyy urged Trump not to trust Putin in a phone call last week.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Russian counterparts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

“I said that [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy said of the call. “And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’”

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

The Ukrainian leader nevertheless said he believes Putin is a “little bit scared” of Trump.

Also excluded from Tuesday’s talks are any European representatives, a notable absence given the stern rebuke of European allies delivered by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week.

The war in Ukraine continues to rage as fledgling peace talks take place in Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/LIBKOS, File)

Some European allies are taking the cue, with U.K. Prime Minister Kier Starmer announcing that he is willing to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to ensure its security as part of a peace deal.

“I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”

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“But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country,” he added.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 18, 2025
Top Russian, US officials begin talks on Ukraine war without officials from Kyiv

Senior Russian and U.S. officials met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss improving relations and an end to Moscow’s war in Ukraine – without representatives from Kyiv.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov led the delegations that met at the Diriyah Palace in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh.

Rubio was accompanied by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, while Lavrov brought along the Kremlin’s foreign affairs advisor, Yuri Ushakov.

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and national security advisor Musaed al Alban were present for the start of the meeting but were expected to leave early in the talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, sits next to U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, right, and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, left, during a meeting with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, Feb. 18, 2025. (AP)

Ukrainian officials are not participating in Tuesday’s meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that Kyiv will not accept the outcome if his country is not in attendance at the meeting.

The meeting symbolizes another significant step by the Trump administration to reverse U.S. policy on isolating Russia. The event was meant to lead to a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference at the Ukraine peace summit in Obbürgen, Switzerland, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Last week, Trump upended U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia, stating that he and Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war, which began in February 2022.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

February 18, 2025
Reporter’s Notebook: Ukrainian spiritual leader says Russian Orthodox Church extension of Kremlin

As President Donald Trump’s administration works toward a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine, the leaders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) are warning that Vladimir Putin’s Russia believes it’s actually fighting a “holy war” against the West.

A delegation from the OCU was in the United States recently for the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. The group was led by His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphany, leader of Kyiv and all of Ukraine.

His translator spoke to Fox News about the spiritual war raging between Russia and Ukraine, which has played a big role in why the battle began and continues to escalate.

HEAD OF EASTERN ORTHODOXY CONDEMNS PUTIN, RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends Easter Orthodox service at the Christ the Savior Cathedral, April 16, 2023 in Moscow. (Contributor/Getty Images)

His eminence Metropolitan Yevstratiy, the deputy head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’s external church relations, says of Russia, “From the point of religious view, this is a liberation of Ukrainians from [the] Godless West, from the evil. And Russia brings to Ukraine the light and truth.”

Yevstratiy, and other church watchers like Catholic intellectual George Weigel, have accused the Russian Orthodox Church of being nothing more than an arm of the Kremlin, dressed in religious vestments but doing Putin’s bidding.

Writing in the magazine First Things, Weigel noted “… Ukraine mounted and sustained a fierce resistance that denied Russia the quick victory Putin anticipated in February 2022, Russian justifications for the war began to take on a new coloration: The war was now a crusade in defense of Christian civilization.”

On Lighthouse Faith podcast, Yevstratiy recalled how at the start of the war, Moscow’s Patriarch Kirill sermonized to Russian soldiers fighting against Ukraine that if they die in battle they would immediately go to paradise… all sins forgiven. Even to an outsider looking at the complexity of Orthodox Christianity, that sounds more like ‘Political Jihad’ than the Gospel.

In 2019, Ukraine’s Orthodox Church was granted independence from the Russian Orthodox Church by the ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). It caused an uproar in Moscow. Kirill and Putin refused to recognize the authority of Patriarch Bartholomew.

‘PUTIN’S CONFESSOR’ NAMED BISHOP OF ANNEXED UKRAINIAN TERRITORY

Metropolitan Epiphanius conducts the liturgical service and the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called consecration on Aug. 25, 2024, in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. (Andrii Nesterenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Yevstratiy also revealed a scarier version of the war in Ukraine. He says Putin’s ultimate goal is more than the reunification of the Soviet Union, or the defense of Christian civilization. It’s actually more apocalyptic. He’s focused on ushering in the third and final Rome…. in Moscow, which means, labeling the rest of Christianity, Catholics and Protestants alike… as heretics and pagans.

Describing the inner workings of the Orthodox churches may seem a little like ‘inside baseball’. But these are the oldest churches of Christianity. They emerged from the five ancient churches led by the apostles who knew Jesus personally.

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill conducts the Easter service at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow on Saturday, April 23. (Sergei Vlasov, Russian Orthodox Church Press Service via AP)

The apostle Andrew went to the east in Constantinople; Mark to Alexandria (Egypt); Peter to Antioch (Rome); James to Jerusalem, and Barnabas to Cyprus. From these men, along with the itinerant Apostle Paul, Christianity spread throughout the globe. So, this conflict between Russia and Ukraine has deep spiritual roots. And Putin knows it.

Yestratiy and Epiphany were present at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. and heard President Trump declare his desire to be a peacemaker.

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Vestratiy said, “We pray and we ask God Almighty to bless this very good and Christian desire.”

Adding, “May God bless Ukraine. May God bless America.”

The full interview is on Lauren Green’s Lighthouse Faith podcast, available on Apple, Spotify and here.

February 16, 2025
Chernobyl plant’s protective shell hit by Russian drone, Zelenskyy says damage ‘significant’

An alleged drone struck the protective shell covering the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine early Friday, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pointing the finger at Russia.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported on X that overnight Thursday, the IAEA team at the Chornobyl site heard an explosion coming from the New Safe Confinement.

The site protects the remains of the nuclear reactor that exploded in Chernobyl in 1986 and was reportedly set ablaze after an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) struck the NSC roof. Zelenskyy said initial assessments show “the damage to the shelter is significant.”

Zelenskyy took to X stating that the incident occurred when allegedly a “Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter.”

RUSSIA LAUNCHES FRESH DRONE ATTACK AGAINST UKRAINE SHORTLY AFTER TRUMP-PUTIN PHONE CALL

Surveillance footage from his posts shows the moment the drone impacts the dome, causing an explosion.

“The shelter at the Chernobyl NPP was damaged by this drone. The fire has been extinguished. As of now, radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored,” Zelenskyy added. “According to initial assessments, the damage to the shelter is significant.”

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

While the incident is currently still under investigation, Zelenskyy claimed the alleged attack was the result of a terrorist threat.

“This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other countries of Europe and the world, together with America – all those committed to real security for humanity,” Zelenskyy said in his post. “The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia. This is a terrorist threat to the entire world. The shelter at the Chornobyl NPP was damaged by this drone.”

Russia has denied any involvement.

Teams assess the damage after what was said to be a drone struck the protective shell at the Chernobyl plant. (@ZelenskyyUa)

The IAEA said its fire safety personnel were able to respond in minutes and there was no indication of a breach in NSC’s inner containment.

The agency also reported that there were currently no casualties, but are monitoring the situation and radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable.

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The explosion comes as world leaders are meeting in Munich, Germany on Friday for the Munich Security Conference where the future of Ukraine and its ongoing war with Russia will be the top item on the agenda.

February 14, 2025
US releasing Russian prisoner as part of Marc Fogel deal, Kremlin says

The United States is releasing Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik as part of the deal to secure Marc Fogel’s freedom, a Trump administration official told Fox News on Wednesday.

Fogel, an American teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021, was freed on Tuesday. A plane carrying him landed in the U.S. late last night.

Vinnik was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the U.S. on cryptocurrency fraud charges. He was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said the Russian prisoner’s name would be revealed when he returns home.

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

Alexander Vinnik, left, and Marc Fogel following his release Tuesday. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Recently, work has been intensified through the relevant agencies, there have been contacts,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters, according to the Associated Press. “And these contacts have led to the release of Fogel, as well as one of the citizens of the Russian Federation, who is currently being held in custody in the United States. This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days.”

The State Department did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, was serving a 14-year prison sentence after his arrest in August 2021 at a Russian airport for being in possession of drugs, which his family and supporters said were medically prescribed marijuana.

Anne Fogel, his sister, told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that she is “so happy to have this massive boulder” lifted off her shoulders with her brother’s release.

“I am so incredibly grateful to the president,” she added. “Just amazing.”

Fogel said her brother’s situation has “taken a toll” on her family but they “can’t even believe that he is safe and at home and can get medical attention.”

AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY

Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania history teacher who was working at the Anglo-American School in Moscow, returned to U.S. soil on Tuesday night. (The White House via X)

After his arrival in the U.S., Fogel met with President Donald Trump at the White House and called him a hero for securing his release.

“I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero,” Fogel said after meeting Trump.

“These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes,” Fogel continued. “The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes.”

Fogel reacts during an event held by President Donald Trump to welcome him back. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

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When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether the U.S. had given up anything in return for Fogel, Trump replied “not much” without offering additional details.

Fox News’ Pat Ward, Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Olympic medalist Scott Hamilton recalls final meeting with champion Russian skaters days before plane crash

Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton held back tears on Friday as he remembered the victims from the figure skating community who died after an American Airlines flight traveling from development camp in Kansas to Washington, D.C., collided with an Army helicopter in midair late Wednesday night.

The four-time men’s singles world champion spoke fondly of the victims during an appearance on TODAY but called the reality of this week’s tragedy “overwhelming.”

Figure Skater Scott Hamilton of the United States competing in the figure skating competition in the XIV Olympic Winter Games circa 1984 in Sarajevo, Bosnia. ( Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

“For this to happen just days after those championships were over is just devastating, shocking – it just doesn’t make any sense. . . .We’re no stranger to tragedy but this was just beyond devastation.”

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Officials have said that 14 skaters, coaches and family members were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, near D.C., at around 9 p.m. local time.

Many of the victims have been identified, including Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the renowned ice skating coaches who won a world championship title together in 1994.

World champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia execute a throw during the pairs short competition at the World Figure Skating competition in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 19, 1996. (Dave Buston/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

YOUNG FIGURE SKATING SISTERS FROM VIRGINIA AMONG VICTIMS KILLED IN DC PLANE CRASH

Hamilton became emotional when he spoke of the couple, who settled in America to become coaches following their successful career, which culminated in two Olympic appearances. He saw them just days before the crash while attending the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas.

“I actually sat with them for a nice visit in Wichita,” Hamilton recalled Friday.”

“To think that they’re gone is, um, I can’t wrap my head around the last 36 hours. It’s just been devastating, and the loss is just beyond description. My heart is shattered.”

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia perform during free skating in the pairs event of the NHK Trophy International Figure Skating Competition at Nagoya, Japan, on Dec. 9, 1995. AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File

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Shishkova and Naumov married in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, and they moved to Connecticut. They had a son, Maxim, who competed in men’s singles in the U.S. He was in Kansas but did not travel back with his parents. The Russian pair were coaches for the Skating Club of Boston.

Sixty passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines plane and three soldiers aboard a training flight on the helicopter are presumed dead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 31, 2025
World champion Russian figure skaters aboard flight involved in midair collision, Kremlin says

Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were a Russian figure skating pair who competed in multiple Olympic Games and medaled in multiple world championships.

The Kremlin said Thursday the figure skating stars were among those aboard an American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan International Airport on Wednesday night.

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Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were killed in a plane crash, the Kremlin said. (Reuters)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Shishkova and Naumov were on the plane.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

It was Naumov’s coach who introduced the pair in 1985, wanting them to work together despite Naumov rebuffing the idea at first. They began to work together in 1987 and competed and won bronze in the 1991 European Championships while representing the former Soviet Union. The pair would go on to win two more bronze and silver medals in the event.

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

From left to right, in pairs are silver medalists Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov of Russia, gold medalists Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny of the Czech Republic, and bronze medalists Jenni Meno and Todd Sand of the United States. (Reuters)

Shishkova and Naumov earned accolades on the world stage as well. At the 1993 World Championships, the two earned a bronze medal. The following year in Chiba, Japan, the two picked up their first gold medal. They finished with a silver in 1995 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The pair competed in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, and the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. They finished in fifth in 1992 and fourth in 1994.

Shishkova and Naumov married in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, and they moved to Connecticut. They had a son, Maxim, who competed in men’s singles in the U.S.

German runner-ups in the pairs Mandy Wotzel, left, and Ingo Steuer (2nd L) with winners Evgenia Shishkova, right, and Vadim Naumov wave to fans in the awarding ceremony of the NHK Trophy Figure Skating Grand Prix in Nagoya, Japan. (Reuters)

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The Russian pair were listed as professional pairs coaches on the Skating Club of Boston’s website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
American figure skating members, Russian Olympians aboard plane in Reagan National Airport crash

U.S. and Russian figure skaters were on board an American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.

U.S. Figure Skating said athletes, coaches and family members were returning home from a camp held in Wichita, Kansas.

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Bodies lie on the ground next to emergency vehicles, near the site of the crash after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River, outside Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” the organization said. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

LIVE UPDATES: MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDES WITH AIRCRAFT NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT

Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won a pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were on board the plane as well, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

The International Skating Union said it was “deeply shocked” over the incident.

Emergency vehicles stage at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (Kevin Wolf/AP)

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“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport — it’s a close-knit family — and we stand together,” the organization said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

January 30, 2025
Trump demands Putin end war in Ukraine or face tariffs on Russian imports

Trump senior advisor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro discusses the battle over TikTok and bringing ‘prosperity’ to the U.S. on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Russian imports to the U.S. if a deal isn’t struck soon to end the war in Ukraine.

“I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.”

Trump continued, “All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”

TRUMP PLANS 10% TARIFFS ON CHINESE IMPORTS ON FEB. 1

President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with!” Trump said. “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”

Trump was asked in the Oval Office on Tuesday evening if he would add additional sanctions on Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not negotiate a ceasefire deal with Ukraine soon.

“Sounds likely,” Trump responded, adding: “The war should have never started. If you had a competent president, which you didn’t, the war wouldn’t have happened. The war in Ukraine would have never happened if I were president.”

“Russia never would have gone into Ukraine. I had a very strong understanding with Putin that it would have never, ever happened,” Trump told reporters. “He disrespected Biden. Very simple. He disrespects people. He’s smart. He understands. He disrespected Biden.”

On whether the U.S. would continue sending military aid to Ukraine, Trump argued that America was contributing about $200 billion more to Kyiv than the European Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during Russian-Iranian meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Friday. (Contributor/Getty Images / Getty Images)

RUSSIA SOUNDS OFF ON TRUMP’S THREAT TO RETAKE THE PANAMA CANAL

“We’re talking to [Ukrainian President Voldymyr] Zelenskyy. We’re going to be talking with President Putin very soon. And we’ll see how it all happens,” Trump said, adding, “I do feel the European Union should be paying a lot more than they’re paying… It affects them more than it affects us. We have an ocean in between, right?”

“The European Union should equalize. We’re in there for $200 billion more than the European Union. I mean, what are we, stupid? I guess the answer is yes, because they must think so,” he said.

The president was also asked when he would meet with Putin.

“Anytime they want, I’ll meet. I’d like to see that end,” Trump told reporters. “Millions of people are being killed — It’s a vicious situation. And now, largely soldiers. A lot of people have been killed in the cities. They look like demolition sites, buildings, massive buildings bombed and coming down. The thing with Ukraine is that many more people died than you’re reporting.”

Ukrainian soldiers from the 28th Infantry Brigade take part in tactical training exercises wearing gas masks in a rural area of Ukraine as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues on Tuesday. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Trump estimated that Russia has lost approximately 800,000 soldiers, and between 600,000 to 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict.

His comments echo those he made a day earlier from the Oval Office when he accused Putin of “destroying Russia.”

“I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal,” Trump told reporters Monday hours after his inauguration. “I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble. You take a look at their economy. You take a look at the inflation in Russia. So I would — I would hope, I get along with him great, and you know, I would hope he wants to make a deal.”

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On Tuesday, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Moscow was “taking into account” Trump’s comments in the Oval Office, and the Russians are “ready and open for a dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukraine conflict,” according to The New York Times.

“If the relevant signals come in from Washington, then we’ll pick them up and will be ready to hold negotiations,” Ushakov reportedly added.

January 23, 2025