U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed reluctance to engage in what he considers pointless meetings regarding a proposed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a Diwali celebration at the White House, Trump stated that he has not made a decision yet and will provide an update within the next two days.
The potential summit, which was discussed during a phone call between Trump and Putin, faced setbacks due to differing opinions on solutions to end the war. This led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries and raised speculation that the summit could be delayed or canceled.
Trump emphasized that “many things are happening” on the Ukraine-Russia front and mentioned that both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky want to bring the conflict to an end, and he believes it will eventually conclude.
Regarding the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now at its 21st day, Trump expressed his willingness to meet with Democratic leaders under the condition that the government is reopened.
In response to a New York Times report about him seeking $230 million in compensation for what he claims was an unfair investigation by the Department of Justice, Trump said he wasn’t sure of the amount but suggested any owed money would be donated to charity.
Trump also reiterated his intention to impose a 100% additional tariff on Chinese imports of Russian oil starting November 1st, and he revisited the topic of South Korea’s $350 billion investment in the U.S. as an outcome of his trade policies. Despite not having finalized a trade agreement with South Korea, Trump assured that such agreements had been made with the EU, Japan, and South Korea, noting ongoing negotiations regarding the terms and implementation of South Korea’s investment.