Trump says he is determined to end the Ukraine war; Biden's latest military aid to Kyiv

Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, stated that he is willing to begin negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine immediately after he enters the White House. During a press conference on Tuesday, January 8, held at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, he expressed his desire for negotiations to start soon, as "Russia is losing many of its young people, and so is Ukraine." He did not specify whether he would meet with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, but mentioned that such a meeting would not be appropriate before his inauguration on January 20. Trump stated, "I can't say anything about it, but I know that Putin is willing to meet." Previously, in late December, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said there were no preconditions for a meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents. During his campaign, the elected President of the United States claimed he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. However, in his press conference on Tuesday, he expressed hope that the war would end within the next six months. In response to the question of whether he could end the war within six months, he said, "I hope it ends much sooner than six months." Trump's return to the White House brings uncertainty about what impact it will have on this nearly three-year war and whether negotiations can take place. However, Trump stated in his press conference that he is determined to "resolve this issue" and added that it is a "difficult task." Trump's statements come as the Biden administration, coinciding with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's trip to Germany on Thursday, is set to unveil its latest military aid to Ukraine. Austin is scheduled to meet with representatives from about 50 countries that are part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein, the U.S. and NATO airbase in Germany. Two U.S. officials ahead of Austin's trip told reporters that the military aid package to Ukraine would be "significant," although they did not disclose the exact financial value of the aid package. This will be Austin's last meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which he organized after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These countries have provided over $126 billion in weapons, military training, and assistance to Ukraine, with the U.S. contributing $66 billion of that total. According to one U.S. official, the military aid to be announced on Thursday will come from existing U.S. stockpiles, most of which must be sent to Ukraine before Trump's inauguration. Ukrainian officials are concerned that Trump's eagerness to negotiate with Russia may allow Moscow to retain the parts of Ukrainian territory it has occupied. Ukraine wants to encourage Trump to continue U.S. military support for the country.