US President Donald Trump said Monday the United States has a red line in its push for peace between Russia and Ukraine – but declined to say what it is.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said he does have a red line on when he’ll stop pushing Moscow and Kyiv for peace, but would not say what it is.
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“There are big egos involved,” he said, before adding: “This was a European situation, it should have remained a European situation.”
Trump said he asked Putin during the call: “When are we going to end this bloodbath?” He added: “I do believe he wants to end [the war].”
“My whole life is deals, one big deal, and if I thought that President Putin did not want to get this over with, I wouldn’t even be talking about it because I’d just pull out,” Trump said.
The call was part of a renewed effort by the US president to push both sides toward a ceasefire. Trump said discussions between Russia and Ukraine would begin “immediately,” though talks had already started in Turkey last Friday. It remains unclear how the upcoming negotiations will differ.
In a Truth Social post published shortly after the call, Trump wrote that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war.”
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“Russia wants to do large-scale trade with the United States when this catastrophic ‘bloodbath’ is over, and I agree,” he wrote. “There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is unlimited.”
Trump added: “Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on trade, in the process of rebuilding its country.”
Putin, in his address after the call, said Moscow is open to some form of “memorandum” with Kyiv on peace settlements, including that on a ceasefire.
Earlier, the West called for Moscow to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting May 12 with the threat of crippling sanctions, prompting Putin to propose direct talks in Turkey, which were delayed to May 16 after he failed to appear, ultimately resulting in a prisoner exchange deal but no ceasefire.
It is unclear if Europe will move forward with the sanctions without the support of the White House. European leaders have called on Trump to pressure Moscow with more sanctions in recent days after Moscow failed to comply with the May 12 ceasefire deadline.
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