Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a longtime Putin supporter, said an aborted mutiny had “somewhat weakened” Putin and that now is the moment for the United States to try to mediate a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine.

“I want people to stop dying over this ridiculous war,” Trump told Reuters in a phone interview.

Speaking broadly about foreign policy, the front-runner in opinion polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination also said China should be given a 48-hour deadline to leave what sources say is a Chinese spy capability on Cuba 90 miles (145 km) off the U.S. coast.

Trump would not rule out that the Kyiv administration may have to relinquish land to Russia to end the 16-month-old war. If he were president, everything would be “subject to negotiation,” but Ukrainians who fought hard to defend their territory “earned much credit.”

I think they should keep much of what they’ve earned, and I think Russia would agree. “We don’t have the right mediator or negotiator,” he remarked.

NATO and President Joe Biden want Russia to leave eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has made some progress in evicting Russian forces.

Last year, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy submitted a 10-point peace proposal that requires Russia to evacuate all soldiers.

I think the U.S. should focus on peace between Russia and Ukraine right can,” Trump said. “Now is the time to force peace by uniting the two parties.”
On Wednesday, rump was friends with Putin, who Biden said has “become a bit of a pariah around the world” for invading Ukraine.

LaTrump remarked lasteekend’s Wagner Group insurrection, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, hurt Putin, “You could say that he’s (Putin) still there, he’s still strong, but he certainly has been I would say somewhat weakened at least in the minds of a lot of people,” he said.

“You don’t know what the alternative is” if Putin were gone. “It could be better or far worse,” Trump said.

Trump said Putin’s destiny should be considered after the war “because right now if you bring that topic up you’ll never make peace, you’ll never make a settlement.” The International Criminal Court charged Putin with war crimes last March.

Trump warned he would put freshness on Chinese goods if Beijing didn’t shut down its spy facility on Cina within 48 hours.

After the coronavirus pandemic, Trump toughened his position on China.

“48 hours to leave.” If they didn’t leave, I’d slap a 100% tariff on everything they sold to the U.S., and they’d go in two days. “One hour,” Trump said.

If China invaded Taiwan, Trump did not say whether the U.S. would defend it militarily.

“I don’t discuss that. “Because it would hurt my negotiating position,” he replied. “There was no threat for four years,” he said. I’d prevent that as president.”