Donald Trump said his decision to impose steep tariffs on India may have played a role in bringing Russian President Vladmir Putin to the negotiating table, media reports cited the US President as saying on Thursday evening.
"Everything has an impact," Trump said on Fox Radio's Brian Kilmeade Show when asked if the move influenced Putin's decision to meet him. Secondary tariffs against India "essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia... Certainly, when you lose your second largest customer and you're probably going to lose your first largest customer, I think that probably has a role."
The two are scheduled to meet in Alaska Friday to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine. "I believe now he's convinced that he's going to make a deal," Trump said. "He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to. And we're going to find out - I'm going to know very quickly."
FOLLOW-UP MEETING
Trump also mentioned during the Fox interview that he has three locations in mind for a follow-up meeting with Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he noted that a second meeting is not guaranteed.
He said staying in Alaska for a three-way summit would be the easiest scenario.
"Depending on what happens with my meeting, I'm going to be calling up President Zelenskyy, and let's get him over to wherever we're going to meet," Trump said.
He said a second meeting, featuring Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy, would likely dig deeper into boundary issues. Zelenskyy has been adamant about not ceding territory that Russian forces occupy.
'VERY, VERY IMPORTANT'
"The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that's going to be a meeting where they make a deal. And I don't want to use the word 'divvy things up,' but you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term, OK?" he said.
"But there will be a give and take as to boundaries, lands, etc, etc. The second meeting is going to be very, very very important. This meeting sets up like a chess game. This (first) meeting sets up a second meeting, but there is a 25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting," he said.
"Everything has an impact," Trump said on Fox Radio's Brian Kilmeade Show when asked if the move influenced Putin's decision to meet him. Secondary tariffs against India "essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia... Certainly, when you lose your second largest customer and you're probably going to lose your first largest customer, I think that probably has a role."
The two are scheduled to meet in Alaska Friday to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine. "I believe now he's convinced that he's going to make a deal," Trump said. "He's going to make a deal. I think he's going to. And we're going to find out - I'm going to know very quickly."
FOLLOW-UP MEETING
Trump also mentioned during the Fox interview that he has three locations in mind for a follow-up meeting with Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he noted that a second meeting is not guaranteed.
He said staying in Alaska for a three-way summit would be the easiest scenario.
"Depending on what happens with my meeting, I'm going to be calling up President Zelenskyy, and let's get him over to wherever we're going to meet," Trump said.
He said a second meeting, featuring Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy, would likely dig deeper into boundary issues. Zelenskyy has been adamant about not ceding territory that Russian forces occupy.
'VERY, VERY IMPORTANT'
"The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that's going to be a meeting where they make a deal. And I don't want to use the word 'divvy things up,' but you know, to a certain extent, it's not a bad term, OK?" he said.
"But there will be a give and take as to boundaries, lands, etc, etc. The second meeting is going to be very, very very important. This meeting sets up like a chess game. This (first) meeting sets up a second meeting, but there is a 25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting," he said.
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