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He also noted their mutual desire to end the bloodshed. “We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together. But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’”
This agreement comes as Putin recently praised Trump’s leadership abilities and expressed confidence that he could bring stability back to Europe. In late January, Putin stated, “Trump, with his character and stubbornness, will restore order there quickly. And all of them – you will see – it will happen swiftly. Soon they will all sit at the feet of their master and gently wag their tails.”
The Russian leader also alleged that European nations were opposed to Trump’s presidency and may have even interfered in the U.S. elections. “Mentally, the then-president Joe Biden suited them more,” Putin claimed.
For his part, Trump remains convinced that a resolution to the war is within reach. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, he remarked, “We will be speaking, and I think we’ll perhaps do something that’ll be significant. We want to end that war. That war would have not started if I was president.”
When asked whether he had personally communicated with Putin, Trump dodged the question, saying, “I don’t want to say that.”
Trump has long criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to reach an agreement with Russia before the war escalated. He has also accused the Biden administration of pouring billions into Ukraine without prioritizing a diplomatic resolution.
Putin, meanwhile, continues to express admiration for Trump, calling him a “clever and pragmatic man” who prioritizes American interests. “We always had a business-like, pragmatic but also trusting relationship with the current U.S. president,” Putin stated. “I couldn’t disagree with him that if he had been president — if they hadn’t stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis that emerged in Ukraine in 2022 could have been avoided.”
Throughout his campaign, Trump has slammed the Biden administration for its excessive spending on Ukraine’s war effort, arguing that funds should be redirected toward domestic concerns. He has claimed that Ukraine has received upwards of $200 billion in aid, a figure that Zelensky disputes. In a recent interview, the Ukrainian leader stated, “When it is said that Ukraine received $200 billion to support the army during the war – that’s not true. I don’t know where all that money went. Perhaps it’s true on paper with hundreds of different programs – I won’t argue, and we’re immensely grateful for everything. But in reality, we received about $76 billion. It’s significant aid, but it’s not $200 billion.”
While Congress has authorized around $175 billion in Ukraine-related aid since 2022, reports indicate that a significant portion has been allocated to U.S. industries and government agencies involved in the conflict. Germany’s Kiel Institute estimates that by October 2024, the U.S. had provided approximately $92 billion in direct financial and military support, while European nations, including the UK, had contributed around $131 billion.
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Zelensky also claimed that much of the assistance has been in the form of military aid rather than direct financial support. “There are also many other humanitarian programs I’m uninformed about, except for knowing of their existence. Perhaps the US president’s administration will audit these programs and find additional billions, but I don’t know where those funds went.”
With Trump and Putin now pushing for a diplomatic resolution, all eyes are on Ukraine and Zelensky’s next move. Will the Biden administration support these efforts, or will it double down on its commitment to military aid? The coming weeks could determine the future of the war and U.S. foreign policy at large.
