“It would be great if we could make a deal with Iran… We have to deal with Russia first. Let's focus on Russia first,” Trump said.
The announcement came as peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev remain frozen after Vladimir Putin de facto rejected direct talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump previously pushed the initiative for such a dialogue, but without a breakthrough. Two months ago, the first meeting with Putin took place in Anchorage after Trump's return to the White House. It did not bring an agreement on Ukraine, although the US president declared that he would organize direct talks between the leaders.
Zelensky declined the invitation to Moscow, emphasizing that he was ready to meet Putin only on neutral territory and not under conditions of ongoing Russian attacks.
Trump wants peace
The Middle Eastern backdrop remains important to Trump's calendar. On October 13, Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages as part of a deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Indicating the people involved in finalizing the settlement, Trump singled out US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who previously also undertook a mission to probe the possibility of an agreement with Putin. As the president reported, Witkoff spent five hours in talks with the Russian leader, which in itself became an anecdote in the White House environment.
Trump admitted that his emissary “didn't know much about Russia or Putin,” but “he has the quality” he was looking for in a negotiator.
Witkoff's methods, however, were criticized because he often repeated the Kremlin's narratives and did not demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the Ukrainian position, reports the Kyiv Independent website. Moreover, according to sources cited by Bloomberg, the meeting with Trump confirmed Putin's belief that may increase air attacks on Ukraine without any serious consequences from Washington.
If these reports are accurate, it increases concerns that the White House's diplomatic path may not bring quick results and may even be used by Moscow to play for time.
Trump's rhetoric towards Russia has intensified in recent weeks. In September, he stated that Ukraine could win the war and regain all territories captured after the invasion. At the same time, Washington is considering transferring Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500 to Ukraine. kilometers that would enable strikes far into Russian territory.
Putin warned that such a step would mean a new stage of escalation and could undermine any progress in US-Russian relations. On October 12, Trump said he was ready to send long-range Tomahawks to Ukraine, but he would first talk to Putin about it.
