US President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to hold discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to seek an end to the war triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Trump said the ongoing conflict had caused widespread devastation, describing it as “carnage” and pledging to bring a resolution to the war.
“We’ll be talking to President Putin, and we’ll be talking to the representatives, Zelensky and representatives from Ukraine. We gotta stop it, it’s carnage,” Trump said, referencing Ukraine’s war-torn state.
Trump, who has repeatedly questioned the substantial financial aid provided to Ukraine by President Joe Biden’s administration, claimed the destruction caused by the war was unprecedented.
Drawing on his experience as a New York real estate developer, he likened the ruins of Ukrainian cities to demolished buildings.
“It’s just rubble. Just like when I knock down a building in Manhattan, which is actually, this is worse, because we do it step by step,” Trump said.
“This thing has just got demolished, and by the way, in those buildings are many people. The structures are flattened like a pancake.”
During his election campaign, Trump stated he could end the war “in a day,” though he has provided little detail on how he would achieve this.
Critics fear his strategy might involve pressuring Ukraine to cede territory occupied by Russian forces.
Trump’s comments come just over a month before his return to the White House, as global attention shifts to how his administration will approach the conflict that has devastated Ukraine and strained international relations.