Donald Trump says Ukraine 'may be Russian someday'

Washington: Ukraine might become Russian someday, US President Donald Trump suggested in an interview on Monday, Al Jazeera reported.

Ukraine “may be Russian someday,” Al Jazeera quoted Trump, who is going berserk after his ascent to the top seat of the US for a second term. He had promised that he would bring a swift end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine's administration suggested that it is open to an agreement in which the US government will be compensated for the continued military and financial aid, Al Jazeera writes.

In the interview with US TV Fox News, Trump said, “They may make a deal, they may not make a deal. They may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday.”

Trump reiterated that he wanted compensation for the aid it provided to Ukraine in the form of access to rare earth minerals.

“We are going to have all this money in there, and I say I want it back. And I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500bn worth of rare earth,” Trump said, And they have essentially agreed to do that, so at least we don’t feel stupid.”

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told Agence France-Presse that Ukraine is ok to work with Trump’s demand, Zelensky demanded tough security guarantees from Washington as part of any ceasefire deal with Russia.

Zelensky is going to meet US Vice President JD Vance on Friday.

Kyiv is pushing for a hard military commitment, such as NATO membership or deployment of peacekeeping troops. It is feared that otherwise, the Kremlin will find time to regroup and rearm for a fresh attack against Ukraine.

Trump said that he had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Moscow did not confirm the same. Instead, it reiterated that a truce is only possible on its terms.