‘I don’t think it will be necessary’, says Trump about the possibility of capturing Putin

By phone, Putin tells Trump that Russia’s position on peace will change after alleged attack on the presidential residence The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Friday (9) that he sees no need to order an operation to capture the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, when commenting on the progress of the war in Ukraine. The statement was made in response to a question from a reporter during a meeting with oil sector executives in Washington. “I don’t think it will be necessary,” said the president, when asked about the possibility of authorizing a mission of this type. Trump also stated that he had maintained a good relationship with the Russian leader over the years and declared frustration with the difficulty of ending the conflict. According to him, the war in Ukraine initially seemed one of the easiest to resolve. Photo from August 15, 2025 – Putin and Trump during a summit in Alaska REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Trump also cited recent casualty figures and Russia’s economic situation to support his assessment that the conflict is likely to be resolved. According to the president, in the last month alone, around 31,000 people died, many of them Russian soldiers. “The Russian economy is in a bad situation. I think we will end up solving this. I wish we could have done it faster,” he said. At another point in the conversation with journalists, Trump said that the Russian president does not feel intimidated by European leadership, but fears the power of the United States under his command. For him, Washington’s military and political weight would be the main factor putting pressure on Moscow. “I would say that President Putin is not afraid of Europe. He is afraid of the United States of America, led by me”, he declared. The speeches take place while representatives from Ukraine and the United States participate, alongside a coalition of countries allied with Kiev, in negotiations in Paris. The talks seek to overcome remaining differences in a peace agreement that Washington intends to finalize with the Ukrainian government before submitting it to Russia for consideration. Since the beginning of Trump’s current term, the United States has adopted a mediation role in the conflict, no longer acting exclusively as a supporter of the Ukrainian government. The White House’s strategy has been to forge an agreement between Kiev and Moscow and try to convince the Kremlin to adhere to the negotiated terms.

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