President Trump told European leaders Wednesday that it is their responsibility to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr. Trump said NATO and European nations need to do more to resolve the nearly four-year conflict.
Describing the European leaders as people “who don’t appreciate what we do,” he urged them to stand up and find a way to end the war.
“They have to work on Ukraine,” Mr. Trump said of Europe. “We don’t.”
“The United States is very far away. We have a big, beautiful ocean separating us. We have nothing to do with it,” he said.
Mr. Trump also repeated his claim that Russia would not have attacked Ukraine if had he won the 2020 election
Mr. Trump’s repeated attempts to end the war since his second inauguration so far have been frustrated. He said that during his first term, he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against invading the Eastern European country.
“I know Putin very well, he and I would discuss Ukraine. It was the apple of his eye but he wasn’t going to do anything. I said, ‘Vladimir, you’re not doing it. He never would have done it. It was terrible,” Mr. Trump said.
During a brief question-and-answer session after his speech, Mr. Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mr. Putin are “stupid” if they don’t reach a deal to end the war, which started in February 2022.
“I believe they’re at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done, and if they don’t, they’re stupid,” Mr. Trump said. “That goes for both of them, and I know they’re not stupid, but if they don’t get this done, they are stupid.”
He said there was “abnormal hatred” between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, and it has become a major impediment to a peace deal.
Mr. Trump also said “we’re reasonably close” to a deal. The president’s envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Mr. Putin on Thursday, the same day Mr. Trump will sit down with the Ukrainian president.
“What happens is, oftentimes, we’ll have a deal with Russia, Russia is set, and President Zelenskyy will not do it,” Mr. Trump said. “You saw that when he was in the Oval Office. I was not happy. And then we’ll have President Zelenskyy wants to make a deal, and Putin doesn’t want to make the deal. It’s a very difficult balance.”
