US President-elect Donald Trump stated that he is preparing for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He wants us to meet, and we are now working on organizing it," Trump said during a meeting with Republican governors at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Thursday, January 9.

According to Trump, the meeting will focus on ending Russia's war against Ukraine. The details of the meeting are "yet to be determined," he noted. The Republican, who won the presidential election in November, is set to be inaugurated on January 20.

During his election campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine and promised to restore peace in the country "within 24 hours," a pledge that faced criticism both in Kyiv and among U.S. allies. Ukrainian authorities fear that Trump might push for concessions to the Kremlin.

Among other statements, at his second post-election press conference, Trump criticized current U.S. President Joe Biden's policy toward Ukraine. He claimed that the Biden administration had made numerous mistakes in negotiations regarding Kyiv's potential NATO membership. According to Trump, Biden's administration may have provoked Russia into attacking Ukraine by displaying Washington's incompetence.

Meanwhile, Keith Kellogg, nominated by Trump as a special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, stated that Trump has no intention of making concessions to Russia but rather aims to defend Ukraine. He believes Trump can propose an "acceptable solution" to end the war in Ukraine in the near future. Kellogg suggested that the timeline for such a solution could be set at 100 days. He also criticized Biden's refusal to engage in dialogue with Putin, calling it a significant mistake.