Russia has positively welcomed Trump's willingness to re-establish direct contacts and his statements on the importance of preventing a third world war, expressed Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin stated: "We are open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration regarding the conflict in Ukraine."
In a press conference at the White House, Donald Trump threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia if Putin refuses to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine. When asked if he would take action if Putin refused to dialogue, Trump emphasized the need to seek lasting peace in the region, based on respect for the interests of all peoples and nations involved.
Trump also criticized Joe Biden's strategy of sending arms to Ukraine to face Russian aggression, suggesting that the European Union should contribute more to resolving the conflict as it is geographically closer to Ukraine. Additionally, Trump mentioned that he is considering reevaluating the arms shipment to Ukraine and plans to dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin in the near future.
Vladimir Putin, for his part, expressed Russia's willingness to dialogue with the United States about the war in Ukraine and congratulated Trump on his inauguration as president. The expectations for negotiating peace in the region have diminished, with a proposed timeframe of 100 days by Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has imposed a wide variety of sanctions against Russia, including restrictions on the oil sector and major Russian banks, aiming to isolate Moscow from the international financial system based on the dollar. The leaders have not yet had direct conversations since Trump's victory in the presidential elections in November.
