Donald Trump signals that Ukraine should hold elections as part of Russia peace deal

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Donald Trump indicated that there should be elections in Ukraine as part of a peace agreement with Russia, in his first public notes after the United States held high -level talks with Moscow in Riyadh.

In statements to criticize Ukrainian President Folodimir Zellinski with warThe US President said: “It has been a long time since we held elections,” in Ukraine. “This is not a Russian thing. He told reporters at his resort, Mar Lago in Florida:” This is something coming from me and comes from many other countries. “

“You have driving [in Ukraine] He now added that this allowed the war to continue to do so, it might never happen, “and comparing the Ukrainian cities with” demolition sites. “

“These cities look like Gaza,” he said, with “most cities. Put on their sides. The buildings collapse.”

The President did not mention Russia’s role in destroying Ukrainian cities and towns during its large-scale invasion-the largest armed conflict on European soil since World War II.

Zelinski’s term ended last year, but Kiev said that the elections could not take place until after the fighting stopped and the martial law was lifted.

David Arkhamia, head of the ruling Zelinski Party in Parliament, said earlier this month that elections should not be held early in six months after the end of martial law.

The election will be a huge challenge because millions of Ukrainians are displaced, lived abroad or residing in areas under Russian occupation. KYIV also expressed security concerns about any surveys, saying that Western peacekeepers or a security force would be necessary to ensure the safety of voters.

to survey Among the Ukrainians who conducted in September and October by the Non -profit International Republican Institute, it was found that 60 percent of the respondents opposed a presidential vote during the war. About 52 percent said they did not support voting for a new parliament while the conflict was continuing.

there Wide fears In Kiev and throughout Europe, Trump wants to settle the war on the conditions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It seems that the United States has already made great concessions to Putin by cleaning Ukraine’s desires aside by joining NATO and restoring its control on the Russian lands.

Trump said he was “more confident” in reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine yet The United States speaks with Russia In Riyadh on Tuesday, which I think was “very good”.

Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, led the delegations at a four and a half hours meeting in the Saudi capital.

After that, they agreed to “set the foundation for future cooperation” to end the Ukrainian war and normalize lightning for relations, after their first -level talks since Putin’s invasion in February 2022.

Zelinski said he had not been informed early on the conversations, and said that Ukraine would take place Reject This does not include Kyiv directly. “We do not want an average peace behind the scenes without our involvement,” he said. “Without Ukraine, peace cannot be achieved.”

The US president also said that he “was very disappointed” because Ukraine was “disturbed by the absence of a seat” in his hostile talks, which led to the end of the war. “Well, they had a seat for three years, a long time ago, this could have been very easily settled,” Trump said.

He also said he would support European peacekeepers In Ukraine after the war, although Lavrov said on Tuesday that any European peacekeeping in the country would be “unacceptable.”

“If they want to do this, this is great. Trump told reporters that everything for that if they wanted to do so” and I will “do not object to it at all.”

He added that he does not want to withdraw all American forces from Europe as part of the peace agreement. “Nobody asks to do so, so I don’t think we have to do so. I don’t want to do so. But this question is unprecedented.”

While Trump collected the leadership of Zelinxisi, he claimed that the approval of his counterpart was 4 percent.

Poll In December, the Kiev International Sociology Institute found that 52 percent of Ukrainians trust in Zelinski.

“I love him personally,” Trump said. “He is fine. But I don’t care about” personally. “I care about the completion of the mission.”

Participated in additional reports by James Politi in Washington