By Steve Holland
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine in his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would let Kyiv decide whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia.
Trump said his goal was to get the two sides to start a negotiation, with any territorial swaps to be addressed then.
“They’ll be discussed, but I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they’ll make a proper decision. But I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them at a table,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump’s remarks are likely to offer some assurance to Ukraine, which is worried that the U.S.-Russia talks could freeze the conflict at Ukraine’s expense.
Trump said the Russian offensive in Ukraine was likely aimed at helping to strengthen Putin’s hand in any negotiations to end the war.
“I think they’re trying to negotiate. He’s trying to set a stage. In his mind that helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him, but in his mind that helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing,” he said.
The U.S. president said he expected his meeting with Putin to produce results, given the stakes involved and weakness in the Russian economy.
“He’s a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I … we get along, there’s a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, something’s going to come of it,” he said.
Trump said it was a good sign that Putin was bringing business executives with him from Russia, but said no deals could be made until the war was settled.
“I like that ’cause they want to do business, but they’re not doing business until we get the war settled,” he said.
(Reporting by Steve Holland, Susan Heavey and Ryan Patrick Jones, writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Ross Colvin and David Goodman)
