Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the Wagner Group's military attempt at rebellion has weakened Russian President Vladimir Putin "to some extent" and suggested that it is time for the United States to mediate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Trump told Reuters in a phone call, "I want the death to stop due to this ridiculous war."
In extended comments on foreign policy, Trump, who leads polls for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential elections, said China should be given 48 hours to close what sources claim is a Chinese spying base on the island of Cuba, located 145 kilometers off the coast of the United States.
Regarding Ukraine, Trump did not rule out the possibility that Kyiv may have to concede some of its territory to Russia in exchange for ending the war that began 16 months ago when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. He stated that everything will be "up for discussion" if he wins the presidential election, but he added that Ukrainians have fought fiercely to defend their land.
"I believe it would be right for them to keep much of what they have achieved, and I think Russia will agree to that. We need the right mediator or negotiator (but) we don't have that currently," he said.
Trump expressed, "I think the biggest thing the U.S. needs to do right now is to make peace... bring Russia and Ukraine together and make peace. It can be done." He added, "It’s time for both sides to sit down and enforce peace."
He continued by saying that Putin has been harmed by the Wagner Group's military attempt at rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin over the weekend. He mentioned, "You can say he (Putin) is still there... still strong, but I see that he has definitely become weaker to some extent in the minds of many people."
He noted that if Putin were no longer in power, "you don’t know who the alternative will be. It could be someone better, but it could also be someone much worse."
Trump strongly opposed the Chinese spying base in Cuba, saying that if Beijing refused his request to close the base within 48 hours, his administration, if he wins the presidency, would impose new tariffs on Chinese goods. He stated, "I will give them 48 hours to get out. If they don’t leave, I will impose a 100 percent tariff on everything they sell to the United States, and they will leave in two days. They will even leave in one hour."
Trump did not comment on whether the U.S. would provide military support to Taiwan if China decided to invade the self-governing island that Beijing claims to be a part of its territory. He said, "I’m not talking about that... because it would hurt my negotiating position. All I can say is that over the four years, there was no threat. And it wouldn’t have happened if I were president."
