Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Saturday that Ukraine appears ready to strike a peace deal to end the war, but warned any agreement must avoid rewarding Russian President Vladimir Putin in a way that could encourage future aggression.
Van Duyne's remarks on "Saturday Agenda" came as President Donald Trump is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday amid intensified U.S.-led talks around a proposed framework that has been described publicly as a 20-point plan.
Trump has signaled he is only willing to meet when negotiations are close to a final agreement.
Van Duyne said Ukraine "has been wanting to strike a deal since before the war started" and argued Zelenskyy "deserves to be heard," while stressing that the central question is what a durable peace looks like and how to ensure Russia is not incentivized to invade again.
She said Trump's goal of ending the conflict is "smart," emphasizing the desire to stop further loss of life, but added that the U.S. must ensure any settlement does not invite renewed Russian aggression.
"But at the same token, we also need to make sure that we know what the goal is. What does peace look like? What does the end of this, of this aggression from Russia look like? I don't want to reward Putin," Van Duyne said.
The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting is expected to focus on the most sensitive elements of a potential settlement, including territorial questions and security guarantees, as fighting continues.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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