Newly elected US President Donald Trump has said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin very soon. Trump announced this plan in an interview on January 13.

According to a report by the Reuters news agency on Tuesday, Trump said that he wants to meet with Putin as soon as possible after taking office as president. Although he did not say anything about the specific time of this possible meeting. However, if it takes place, this will be the first direct meeting between the leaders of the two countries since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

When asked about a solution to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Trump said, "The only strategy in this case is to talk to Putin. I know that he wants to meet too. I want to have this meeting very soon. But for that, I have to take responsibility as president."

Meanwhile, US Congressman Mike Waltz said that as the Trump administration's national security adviser, he expects a phone conversation between Trump and Putin.

Ukraine is currently under pressure from the Russia-Ukraine war. Russian forces have seized several key cities in the Donetsk region as a result of the Russian offensive. Ukraine faces considerable challenges in overcoming this crisis even before Trump takes office as president.