Washington: Vladimir Putin has long been a favourite of former US President Donald Trump, who stated on Thursday that Putin has been "somewhat weakened" by an attempted coup and that it is now time for the US to attempt to mediate a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, Trump stated, "I want people to stop dying over this ridiculous war.
Speaking broadly about foreign affairs, the front-runner in the Republican primary polls for president in 2024 also advocated giving China a 48-hour deadline to leave what experts say is a Chinese spy facility on the island of Cuba, 90 miles (145 km) off the US coast.
Regarding Ukraine, Trump did not rule out the possibility that in order to put an end to the conflict, which started with Russian forces invading the country 16 months ago, the government in Kyiv might have to give up some territory to Russia. If he were president, he claimed that everything would be "subject to negotiation," but added that Ukrainians who have fought valiantly to defend their country have "earned a lot of credit."
"I believe they would be entitled to keep a large portion of their earnings, and I believe Russia would concur. We don't currently have the appropriate mediator or negotiator, he said.
Russia has seized territory in eastern Ukraine, and US President Joe Biden and NATO allies want it to leave. A counteroffensive launched by Ukraine has made some progress in driving out Russian forces.
A 10-point peace plan put forth by Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, last year demanded that all Russian troops leave the country.
"I believe that establishing peace between Russia and Ukraine is the most important thing that the US should be doing right now. You can succeed, Trump assured. "Now is the time to bring the two parties together to compel peace," the speaker said.
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Trump made friends with Putin while he was president, and Biden claimed on Wednesday that Putin has "become a bit of a pariah around the world" as a result of his invasion of Ukraine.
Trump claimed that the Wagner Group uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian mercenary, last weekend had hurt Putin.
"You could say that (Putin) is still there, he's still strong, but he certainly has been, I would say, somewhat weakened at least in the minds of a lot of people," he said.
However, if Putin lost his position of authority, "you don't know what the alternative is. It may be better, but it may also be much worse, according to Trump.
Regarding Putin's fate, Trump stated that it should be discussed after the war is over "because right now if you bring that topic up you'll never make peace, you'll never make a settlement." This was in reference to the war crime accusations brought against Putin by the International Criminal Court in March.
Trump was vehemently opposed to China's spy base in Cuba and threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese imports if Beijing didn't agree to close it within 48 hours.
Trump claimed to have a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping before the coronavirus pandemic soured it, but as president he took a harder line against China.
"I'd give them a 48-hour window to leave. And if they didn't leave, I'd impose a 100% tariff on everything they export to the US, which would force them to leave within two days. Within an hour, they would be gone, Trump promised.
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If China invaded the autonomous island that Beijing claims as its own, would the United States support Taiwan militarily? President Trump remained silent on the subject.
"I don't discuss that. I don't, and the reason is that it would weaken my negotiating position," he said. "All I can say is that there was no threat for four years. And if I were president, it wouldn't occur.
