Trump: Ukraine “Should Never Have Started War”

According to US President Donald Trump (pictured), “the talks in Saudi Arabia with Russian representatives went very well.” During a press conference devoted to signing the new executive orders held at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump also announced that he would probably meet “with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of this month.”

The American president categorically rejected Ukraine’s complaints caused by being kept away from the negotiating table with Russia. “I’m even more optimistic now,” Trump said, commenting on the results of talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh on Tuesday, February 18. As a result of these talks, a kind of “reset” of relations between the two great world powers was approved, aimed not only at achieving “peace” in Ukraine, but also at developing new business cooperation between Washington and Moscow, as well as reaching an agreement on the balance of power in the world community.

Thus, it follows from Trump’s words that “criticism of the Ukrainian side angered him.” He admitted he was “extremely disappointed” by Kiev’s protest. “They say they resent not being invited to the negotiating table. But you were there for three years… You should not have started the war,” the President of the United States said, emphasizing that “we can end the conflict.”

The issue of duties imposed by Washington on products exported from around the world to the USA is once again causing concern among Chinese and European automakers. According to Trump, the new wave of duties will be imposed as early as April 2. “We will impose duties on imports of foreign automobiles of about 25% or higher, with duties rising throughout the year,” the US president warned, noting that these were only “retaliatory measures.”