In an interview with The New York Post conducted aboard Air Force One, Trump refused to say how many times he had spoken with the Russian leader. "I’d better not say," Trump stated.
He added that Putin was also concerned about the bloodshed. "He wants to see people stop dying," the president said.
Trump claimed to have a concrete plan to end the war but did not elaborate.
"I hope it's fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing," he said.
During the interview, the US president turned to his national security advisor, Mike Waltz, urging him to expedite meetings on the matter.
"Let's get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying. Young handsome soldiers are being killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides," he added.
Trump did not mention a planned meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky next week, which he had referred to on Friday.
The New York Post only reported on Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with US Vice President JD Vance during the Munich Security Conference.
Asked about Trump’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he could neither confirm nor deny the conversation.
"As the work of the new administration in Washington gains momentum, many opportunities for communication arise," Peskov stated.
"Exchanges take place through various channels, and naturally, with the number of such contacts, I might not be aware of everything. In this case, I cannot confirm or deny it," the Russian official said.
(ał)
Source: IAR, the New York Post