U.S. President Donald Trump is convinced that Vladimir Putin wants to establish peace, and the powerful attacks by Russia on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure are a response to Ukrainian attacks in the rear of the Russian Federation.
President Trump made this statement before the start of the meeting with President Zelensky at the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
"He is very serious (about ending the war)," Trump emphasized in response to reporters' questions about whether he believes Putin wants peace after Russia's recent major attacks on Ukraine.
"Ukraine has also carried out several quite powerful attacks... I'm not saying this in a negative light... He (Putin) didn't tell me this, but there were explosions in different parts of Russia. And it seems to me... I don't think this came from Congo. I don't think this is from the United States of America. This may have come from Ukraine," the American president stated.
He mentioned that he "did not ask that question" during his conversation with Putin, and probably will not do so.
"They are waging war. And we will see what happens. But I believe this is a war in which there are two sides that want it to end," Trump emphasized.
He reminded that the people of Ukraine are eager for the war to end. Similarly, according to him, the people of Russia and the "two leaders" (Zelensky and Putin) also desire this.
"I think we are in the final stages of negotiations. And we will see... Either the war will end, or it will last a long time. And millions of people will be killed... Nobody wants that," the U.S. president concluded.
