US President Donald Trump stated that he does not object to Ukraine and Russia negotiating an end to their conflict independently without direct United States participation as an initial mediator. The American president shared his perspective during an exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, June 5, amid diplomatic proposals between Kyiv and Moscow.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Let Them Deal” When asked by journalists whether President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin should hold a direct conversation before the United States steps back in to mediate formal peace talks, Trump indicated he supported the idea. “Well, I don’t mind,” Trump stated. “I mean, let them deal. I’m the one that got them to this position, and I think that’s going to get worked out. I think we’re getting close to where Russia (and) Ukraine should have... But I think that’s going to get worked out.” The US president also repeated his frequent assertion that the war should never have occurred, adding that the full-scale invasion would not have taken place had he been leading the United States in 2022.
A stalled diplomatic overture Trump’s comments on Friday arrived immediately after a public diplomatic push by Kyiv. On Thursday, June 4, President Zelensky published an open letter directly proposing a face-to-face meeting with Putin in a neutral country – such as Switzerland, Turkey, or an Arab nation – with the United States and European partners participating as potential security guarantors.
