President Dan: For the time being, Russia does not want peace

Romania's President Nicusor Dan said on Monday at Rosia Montana that, in his opinion, Russia does not want peace for the time being, and the only way to bring it to a "real negotiating table" is through economic sanctions.

"I hope we will get to have the real Trump-Putin-Zelenskiy trilateral meeting. That is where I want us to go," said Dan when asked how he sees Monday's meeting at the White House, of Trump and Zelenskiy, followed by an extended meeting that will be joined by the European leaders supporting Ukraine who came to Washington, namely President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Dan added that it's a step forward that President Trump said he wants a tripartite summit and that he wants it to happen in one-two weeks' time.

He believes that if there is a first meeting in the Trump-Putin-Zelenskiy format, it will not be "by any means the last," so it will be a process.

"I think that in such process we will see that Russia is not serious, as it has not been for three and a half years. Russia, to be very clear, does not want peace for the time being. He is on the offensive; he has gained territory. Had it wanted peace, it would have participated in negotiations up to this point. So, the only way to bring it to a real negotiating table is with economic sanctions. It has to be in economic distress as a result of the sanctions that the Western world has already applied to it. If the United States enters with a package, as was discussed in Congress against Russia, that will be a main, important argument," Dan concluded.

The President was in Rosia Montana on Monday, accompanied by family, to tour the local Roman Galleries and meet volunteers of the "Adopt a House in Rosia Montana" campaign.