SAEDNEWS: The President of the United States announced that he has canceled his meeting with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, adding that the talks will be held at a later date.
According to SaedNews political service, U.S. President Donald Trump told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday evening: “We canceled the meeting with President Putin because I didn’t think it was right. We didn’t feel it would lead anywhere, so I canceled it, but we will do it in the future.”
Referring to an upcoming summit hosted by Hungary, Trump added: “I canceled my meeting with Putin because I felt there was no likely outcome. Holding a session with Putin wasn’t right, so we canceled it. However, Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky are seeking peace, and the time to end this war has come.”
Trump also said he decided to tighten sanctions against Russia because “I felt the time had come.”
Previously, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it would impose sanctions on major Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft, as well as their subsidiaries, due to the country’s alleged failure to commit to ending the conflict in Ukraine.
During his meeting with the NATO chief, Trump said: “I just felt the time had come. I waited a long time… Look, these are very severe sanctions. They target their two largest oil companies. And we hope they won’t remain in this state for long. Every time I talk to Putin, the conversation is good, and then nothing changes.”
Trump said he believes Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate and reach an agreement on Ukraine and stressed that Washington does not want Moscow to take full control of the region. He said: “I think now he’s more willing to negotiate, and I think he wants an agreement. We don’t want him to have everything.”
In another part of his remarks, Trump suggested that a potential agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping could also include nuclear issues.
He said: “I think we will reach an agreement on everything. I think we will agree on soybeans and farmers. I think we may even reach an agreement on nuclear matters.”
Trump also said the U.S. will target boats suspected of carrying drugs in international waters. He added: “If we conduct ground operations against drug cartels, we may seek legal authorization from Congress. Very serious measures against Colombia may also be taken.”
The Republican leader, commenting on the ongoing federal government shutdown caused by a political deadlock in Congress over the budget, said many “good Democrats” want to reach an agreement to end the shutdown.
Trump told reporters: “Many good Democrats really want a deal. It has a lot of support from Republicans, and to pass it, the bill needs five Democratic votes. Eventually, common sense will prevail.”
The U.S. fiscal year began on October 1, but Congress failed to pass a budget, leaving the government unable to operate. The shutdown affects operations of some federal agencies that rely directly on congressional funding for the upcoming fiscal year—a situation that is not uncommon.
Trump had previously indicated he could use the shutdown to cut staff and salaries broadly. He claimed that the Democrats’ stance caused the budget deadlock and that the White House would use the current situation to eliminate programs Republicans oppose. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate has failed to pass the budget bill for the twelfth consecutive time, prolonging the federal government shutdown.
