Trump Says Prolonging Russia-Ukraine Conflict Might Be Preferable

Washington: Former US President Donald Trump has suggested that it may be better to allow the Russia-Ukraine war to continue for some time, despite German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urging stronger US pressure on Russia.

During a meeting with Merz at the White House, Trump cited the deep-seated "bad blood" and "hatred" between Russia and Ukraine as major obstacles to achieving an immediate ceasefire—signaling a change from his earlier stance that he could end the war swiftly.

“They fight, fight, fight,” Trump remarked. “Sometimes you let them fight for a little while. You see it in hockey. You see it in sports. The referees let them go for a few seconds before stepping in. Maybe it’s the same here.”

In the meeting, Chancellor Merz emphasized that the US was once again in a strong position to help bring the war to an end and urged for increased pressure on Russia.

Regarding potential new sanctions, Trump stated that no immediate actions were planned, but hinted that he could consider sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine, noting that "it takes two to tango."

“When I see that there’s no chance for this to stop, we’ll act firmly,” Trump said. “And that pressure could be applied to both sides.”

Earlier, Trump had warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that he was “playing with fire,” as the war showed no signs of de-escalation. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, a lot of really bad things would have already happened to Russia—and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”

Trump was critical of both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, telling reporters, “I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. I don’t know what the hell happened to him,” before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, for his return to Washington.

With inputs from IANS