President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is holding out “hope” that Russia will agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine as the first step to ending the brutal three-year-long war.
“We know where we are with Ukraine,” he told reporters while speaking from the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“Hopefully they’ll do the right thing,” he added in reference to Russia.
President Donald Trump, right, and Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte at the White House on July 18, 2019. Rutte, now NATO secretary-general, met with Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
PUTIN THANKS TRUMP FOR PRINCIPLES OF CEASEFIRE PUSH, BUT DOES NOT SAY YES
Trump’s comments came just moments after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an address in Moscow in which he thanked Trump for his ceasefire efforts, noting he agreed with them in “principle” but signaled he was not agreeing to the 30-day proposal as it stands now.
Trump said he was aware of Putin’s comments at the time of the Oval Office press conference and classified the Russian leader’s comments as “promising” but “incomplete.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Thursday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
“He put out a very promising statement, but it wasn’t complete,” Trump said. “I’d love to meet with him or talk to him, but we have to get it over with fast.”
The president noted that Russian officials have flagged grievances relating to debates over the Zaporizhzhia power plant and Ukrainians’ admittance into NATO, which Putin also touched on during his address in Moscow.
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“A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed,” Trump told reporters moments after Putin’s remarks. “Now we’re going to see whether or not Russia is there.”
“If they’re not, it’ll be a very disappointing moment for the world,” he added.
