Putin wants Ukraine to ‘succeed’ – Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to “succeed” and is ready to support the country economically, including by supplying low-cost energy, US President Donald Trump has said.
The two leaders discussed Ukraine during a phone call on Sunday, shortly before Trump met Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
The Kremlin said the friendly, businesslike conversation lasted more than an hour, with both sides expressing interest in reaching a lasting settlement.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting with Zelensky, Trump was asked whether Russia would play any role in Ukraine’s reconstruction once a peace agreement is reached.
“Russia is going to be helping,” he responded.
“Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. It sounds a little strange, but President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices.”
Before 2014, Russia and Ukraine were closely linked through gas supply and transit arrangements that formed a key part of their economic ties. Moscow supplied natural gas to Ukraine under preferential pricing frameworks, while Kiev served as a major transit route for Russian exports to European markets via its pipeline network.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that the conversation with the Russian leader had been “very productive.”
According to Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, both sides agreed that a temporary ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and its European backers would only prolong the conflict and risk renewed hostilities.
After meeting Zelensky, Trump said he understood Putin’s position of not agreeing to a ceasefire that could lead to fighting resuming later.
Ushakov said the Russian leader also agreed to Trump’s proposal to continue settlement efforts by forming two working groups focused on security and economic issues.
On Saturday, Putin told senior military commanders that some Western figures were offering Kiev peace terms that included security guarantees, economic recovery, and a roadmap for restoring relations with Russia.
He warned that if diplomatic options are rejected, Moscow would pursue its objectives by military means.
