WASHINGTON — President Trump claimed Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to make a deal more than [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky” to end Russia’s invasion of its neighbor — after Zelensky accused Putin of violating a days-old energy cease-fire.
Trump claimed he forced the parties to agree over the weekend to the limited truce and that “there have been violations on both sides” — brushing off Zelensky’s claim that Putin was to blame for putting at risk the agreement by striking natural gas infrastructure.
“All I know is that Zelensky and Putin have to get together and end that ridiculous war. This month they lost 32,000 people in that war, and it’s ridiculous. So they have to get together and get it done,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Ohio.
“They agreed [to the energy cease-fire]. You know why? Because I said you agreed. That’s why. They agreed because I said they agreed, and that thing has to get settled.”
Trump has had particularly tough words for Zelensky in recent days, including saying “it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president” after Zelensky criticized a deal announced by Trump on Friday in which Russian diesel will be exported to the US.
Zelensky had defied earlier Trump demands to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries as the global cost of diesel nearly doubled as a result of the conflict and the continuing US-Iran war.
“I think they want to make a deal, but they don’t know how. But we’re going to get them to make a deal,” Trump said Monday.
“[Putin] wants to make a deal, and we have to get Zelensky to want to make a deal… I think actually Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelensky.”
