Trump: "To End the Ukraine War, I Talked with Russian and Ukrainian Leaders... Biden Involves North Korea in the War"

Chairman Son Jeong-ui Announces $144 Trillion Investment Plan in the U.S.
First Press Conference After Presidential Election Victory
"Kim Jeong-eun, a Person Doing Well" Suggests Possibility of Dialogue

President-elect of the United States Donald Trump expressed on the 16th (local time) his intention to engage in dialogue with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to end the Ukraine war. He criticized the Biden administration for allowing Ukraine to attack Russian territory with U.S.-made long-range missiles, saying it has drawn North Korean troops into the war. Regarding Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, he described him as "another person I get along well with," which was interpreted as leaving open the possibility of direct North Korea-U.S. talks.

On the same day, Trump held a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, where his residence is located, calling the Ukraine war "the most horrific massacre since World War II" and stating that "it must stop." He emphasized, "We will talk with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine," adding, "We must stop this, and I am doing my best to stop it."

Trump said about President Zelensky, "He must be ready to make a deal," reiterating that "too many people are dying." This was interpreted as effectively pressuring Zelensky to prepare for peace negotiations.

He said it would take over 100 years to rebuild Ukraine and dismissed Ukraine's hopes of recovering territories seized by Russia. Trump stated, "They may say they want their land back, but the cities have been completely destroyed," adding, "When you look at the cities, not a single building remains; what can they possibly reclaim?" He then said, "It will take 110 years to rebuild (Ukraine)." Bloomberg News interpreted this remark as suggesting that Trump intends to drastically reduce or even halt support for Ukraine.

He also criticized President Joe Biden for allowing Ukraine to attack Russian mainland with U.S.-supplied long-range missiles. Trump said, "We should not allow missiles to be launched from 200 miles (about 320 km) away from Russia," and added, "That is a bad thing and has brought North Korean soldiers into the conflict." Regarding Kim Jong-un, he said, "He is another person I get along well with," and criticized, "A few weeks before I took office, (the Biden administration) did something they should not have done, a very big mistake."

Trump did not disclose whether he had spoken with President Putin after winning the election. However, he repeatedly emphasized, "If I had been president, that war would never have happened."

He also indicated that President Zelensky was not invited to the inauguration ceremony scheduled for January 20 next year. Trump said, "If he wants to come, I would like to bring him," but added, "I did not invite him."

The event was planned to announce a $100 billion (about 144 trillion won) investment plan in the U.S. by Masayoshi Son, Chairman of Japan's SoftBank Group, but it effectively became Trump’s first press conference after his election victory as he engaged in various Q&A sessions with reporters.

At the press conference, Trump said, "SoftBank will invest $100 billion in the United States and create at least 100,000 jobs domestically," adding, "He (Chairman Son) is doing this because he is very optimistic about the U.S. after the election." He emphasized, "This historic investment is a monumental event that shows confidence in America's future," and added, "It will help artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, and other future technologies to be developed and advanced in the U.S."

Previously, SoftBank had announced plans to invest $50 billion (about 72 trillion won) and create 50,000 jobs during Trump’s first term in 2016.