Following a phone call with his Russian counterpart, the US president offered further insights.
Key points from the briefing include:
Biden’s pledge ignited the Ukraine conflict, Trump claims
Trump attributed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to his predecessor, Joe Biden, arguing that the war wouldn’t have happened if he were still president. He claimed that Biden’s statements about Ukraine potentially joining NATO were a major provocation that directly led to the conflict.
“I don’t believe a country in Russia’s position would allow Ukraine to join NATO,” Trump stated. “I think that’s why the war started, because Biden said they could join NATO, and he shouldn’t have.”
Trump elaborated, suggesting that the promise of NATO membership created a security concern for Russia, triggering the war. He called Biden’s statement “reckless” and “ill-conceived,” emphasizing that such commitments require broader international agreement.
Ukraine’s NATO aspirations remain unmet
Trump defended his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, whose comments on Ukraine’s NATO hopes drew criticism. He deemed Hegseth’s remarks “pretty accurate,” rejecting calls to have Hegseth retract his statements.
“I was told to, but I thought his comments yesterday were good. They might be a little softer today, but I still think they were accurate,” Trump said.
Hegseth previously argued that Ukraine’s aim to regain all lost territory was unrealistic and that a negotiated peace was necessary. He suggested international peacekeeping troops, but not NATO membership, as part of any peace agreement.
High-level US-Russia meeting planned
Trump announced that high-level US and Russian officials are set to meet in Munich.
“They’re meeting in Munich tomorrow. Russia will be there, along with our representatives. Ukraine is also invited. I’m not sure who exactly will attend, but it’ll be high-level officials from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.”
He also reiterated his openness to a personal meeting with Putin, perhaps in Saudi Arabia, but noted that such plans are still in early stages.
Trump expresses trust in Putin’s desire for peace
Trump voiced his belief in Putin’s sincerity in wanting peace: “I believe President Putin, when I spoke to him yesterday… I think he wants peace. I think he would have told me otherwise.”
Dismissing reporters’ doubts, Trump stated that he trusts Putin on this matter, criticizing the Biden administration for its inaction in preventing the escalation of the conflict.
“I trust him on this. I think he’d like to see peace,” Trump added, emphasizing that “this should have been handled by Biden years ago” and that the conflict “should never have been allowed to happen.”
BRICS deemed ‘dead’ by Trump
Trump discussed a new tariff plan designed to ensure fair trade by imposing reciprocal tariffs on countries with high import duties on US goods. He highlighted India as a highly protectionist economy, ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He criticized the BRICS bloc for trading outside the US dollar system.
“BRICS was created for a bad purpose,” Trump warned, citing the bloc’s threat to the dollar’s dominance. “They’re afraid to talk about it because I told them – if they want to play games with the dollar, they’ll face a 100% tariff… BRICS is dead since I mentioned that.”
Proposal to reinstate Russia in the G8
Trump expressed his desire to see Russia rejoin the G7, reverting to the G8 format. He believes Putin would also welcome this, despite Moscow’s lack of interest since its suspension in 2014.
“I think it was a mistake to remove them. It’s not about liking or disliking Russia – it was the G8. We should have them at the table.”
Trump suggested that excluding Russia was a strategic error possibly contributing to the Ukraine conflict. “It’s possible that if it were the G8, we wouldn’t have the problem with Ukraine,” he added.
Nuclear arms reduction envisioned
Trump outlined his vision for reducing global nuclear stockpiles through direct negotiations with Russia and China. He plans to initiate talks on military spending and arms control after the geopolitical situation stabilizes.
“At some point, when things settle down, I’ll meet with China and Russia, and I’ll say there’s no reason for us to spend almost a trillion dollars on the military.”
He highlighted the absurdity of nations continually expanding their arsenals when they already possess enough weapons for multiple global destructions.
“There’s no reason for us to be building new nuclear weapons. We already have enough to destroy the world 50 or 100 times over,” Trump said, expressing confidence that Putin and Xi Jinping would be receptive to such discussions.
