U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he will offer to end sanctions against Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, The Times newspaper reported.
READ MORE: Donald Trump says he could bin Russia sanctions if Moscow proves a helpful ally
In an interview with The Times of London, Trump said he wanted nuclear weapons arsenals of the world’s two biggest nuclear powers — the United States and Russia — to be “reduced very substantially.”
“They have sanctions on Russia – let’s see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that’s part of it,” Trump was quoted by the newspaper as saying.
Trump also criticized Russia for its intervention in the Syrian civil war, describing it as “a very bad thing” that had led to a “terrible humanitarian situation,” The Times said.
WATCH: Donald Trump: ‘If Putin likes me, I consider that an asset’
Trump said that he would appoint Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, to broker a Middle East peace deal, urged Britain to veto any new UN Security Council resolution critical of Israel and repeated his criticism of President Obama’s handling of the Iran nuclear deal.
He praised Queen Elizabeth and said he was eager to get a trade deal done with the United Kingdom.
READ MORE: British Prime Minister May plans to keep Brexit plan on track
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Trump said he thought that “Brexit is going to end up being a great thing” and welcomed the fall in the value of the pound for having helped to boost the attractiveness of British products abroad, The Times said.
Trump also said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a “catastrophic mistake” with the policy that let a wave of a million migrants into her country.
WATCH: Merkel responds to Trump saying Europe’s fate is in its own hands
“I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all of these illegals,” the Times, via Twitter, quoted Trump as saying in an interview.
Reporting by William James, editing by Guy Faulconbridge
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