Russia and Putin · Second term · № 125
Told reporters after a Putin call that 'Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed' and Putin was 'very generous'
“Russia is going to be helping. Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. Once—it sounds a little strange, but I was explaining to the President: President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity, and other things at very low prices.”
- Said
- , Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, news conference with President Zelensky
- Subject
- 'Russia wants Ukraine to succeed'
- Type
- Praise and deference
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
Before hosting Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago he spoke with Putin for what he called an 'excellent' call of about two and a half hours (the Kremlin said over an hour). Asked whether Russia would share responsibility for rebuilding Ukraine, he said Russia 'wants to see Ukraine succeed' and would supply energy 'at very low prices.' The night before, Russia had attacked Kyiv with ballistic missiles and drones, killing at least one person and wounding 27; that morning Russian bombs killed a man in Sloviansk. He said the two sides were 'closer than ever before' to a deal, that Putin had not agreed to a ceasefire, and that 'in a few weeks, we will know one way or the other.' Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said a 'bold, responsible, political decision is needed from Kyiv' on the Donbas. Zelensky said the 20-point plan was '90 percent agreed.'