**Trump Says Putin Wants to Meet, Meeting Preparations Underway**
US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to meet with him. Trump made the statement on January 9 at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
“He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” Trump said. “President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess.”
Trump did not provide any further details about the upcoming meeting. The claim comes just days before he is set to take office on January 20.
**Promise to End Ukraine War**
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump promised to negotiate a swift end to the war in Ukraine. He often referred to his good relationship with Putin and said that he would work with him to find a solution.
Trump’s nominee for special Ukraine peace envoy, retired general Keith Kellogg, has praised Trump’s willingness to engage in dialogue with Putin and criticized US President Joe Biden for refusing to do so. Kellogg said that the administration aims to end the war in 100 days.
**Putin’s Previous Statement**
In December, Putin said that he was prepared to meet with Trump at “any time” to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. However, Russian officials have since dismissed reported peace deals from Trump’s team, saying they do not meet Putin’s terms.
Trump’s push for a quick end to the war has led to fears that Kyiv will be pressured into unfavorable concessions, including loss of land. About 20% of Ukrainian territory is currently under occupation by Russian forces.
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