U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin would be "stupid" if they failed to reach a peace agreement. Trump made the remarks during a Q&A session following his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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"Drones are killing thousands of people weekly. We need to stop this. Today I will meet with President Zelensky. I think we are at a point where they are ready to get together and make a deal," Trump said.
"And if not — they are stupid. That goes for both of them. And I know they are not stupid. But if they don't do it, they are stupid. I don't mean to offend anyone, but it is time for you to make a deal. Too many people are dying," the U.S. President added.
Trump also addressed the complexities of the negotiation process, noting that both sides take turns blocking agreements.
"It often happens like this: we already have a deal ready with Russia, but President Zelensky doesn't agree to it. You saw that when he was in the Oval Office — I wasn't happy," Trump said.
"And there are moments when President Zelensky wants to make a deal, but Putin doesn't. It is a very delicate balance," he noted.
The U.S. President also claimed that a third world war could have broken out had he not been elected.
"I think Putin would have gone all the way... if Kamala or Joe, or one of those people had been elected... I think you could have ended up in World War Three," Trump said.
He once again criticized NATO, stating the alliance had treated the U.S. "very unfairly." "The U.S. has been taking care of NATO for years, and it is time for NATO to take responsibility," Trump emphasized.
Earlier during his main address, Trump announced a meeting with Zelensky. According to Axios, the meeting is scheduled for Thursday around noon and is set to take place before White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel to Moscow to meet with Putin. Both meetings will focus on the peace plan for Ukraine.