Davos [Switzerland], January 21 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday downplayed Washington's role in the Ukraine war during remarks in Davos, arguing that the conflict is primarily Europe's responsibility as he spoke about NATO, which he said treats the United States "very unfairly."
Trump raised Ukraine and Russia's war against it while discussing the alliance, repeating his claim that the war would not have happened if he had been president at the time. He also reiterated his assertion that the 2020 US elections were "rigged."
Questioning what the US had gained from efforts to end the war, Trump asked what his country received "other than death, destruction, and massive amounts of cash going to people who don't appreciate what we do?"
"(I'm) talking about NATO, I'm taking about Europe. They have to work on Ukraine. We don't. The United States is very far away. We have a big, beautiful ocean separating us. We have nothing to do with it," he said.
Even while distancing the US from what he portrayed as a Europe-led responsibility, Trump indicated his administration remained involved in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
In that context, Trump said he was directly engaging with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on ending the war.
Zelensky was in Kyiv on Wednesday as Trump spoke at the World Economic Forum, with the US President saying he planned to meet him later in the day as the two continue discussions aimed at ending the Ukraine war.
"I'm dealing with President Zelensky, and I think he wants to make a deal," Trump said.
Trump said the discussions would continue as part of efforts to bring the war to an end, with the two leaders intending to carry forward talks aimed at ending the conflict.
According to CNN, the planned meeting will come the same day Trump's foreign envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner travel to Moscow for meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done, and if they don't, they're stupid," Trump added of Zelensky and Putin.
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