US President Donald Trump has teased a "big agreement" with Russia's Vladimir Putin following a White House meeting on the Ukraine war. Mr Trump met at the White House on Thursday with a Russian envoy who was on the premises for an event with First Lady Melania Trump.
His meeting suggested that some kind of grand deal about European security was in the works. Mr Trump said he did not meet with visiting Ukrainian officials who also were on hand.
Agreement Could Extend Beyond Ukraine
Asked what the US leader discussed with the Russian envoy, Mr Trump said that he could not say. He did, however, share that the agreement could extend beyond just Ukraine.
Mr Trump told reporters at the White House: "There's going to be an agreement. There's going to be a big agreement and it's going to involve more than Ukraine."
He continued: "I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It is going to be a big, beautiful agreement and everyone's going to be thrilled."
Strained Relations With Ukraine
Mr Trump has long boasted he could quickly broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, but has so far been unsuccessful. Last month, Mr Trump claimed that Russia "has been fine on Ukraine" and brutally attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He blamed his Ukrainian counterpart for the increasing death toll in the four-year-long war and suggested he would be open to attending a summit on the conflict without Kyiv representatives. Mr Trump told reporters at the time: "Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine. They haven't been doing much."
Political and Economic Pressures
Relations between the US and Ukraine have deteriorated sharply in the wake of Mr Trump's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel in a bid to cut fuel prices ahead of mid-term elections. His efforts, however, were unsuccessful.
The Republican Party lost both the House and Senate to Democrats on Tuesday as voters showed disapproval for Mr Trump's policies and the ongoing war in Iran. The Iran war, along with the conflict in Ukraine, has driven up the cost of living for people around the world.
Mr Trump now has plenty of work to do if he is to set his party up for success in the elections two years from now.
