President Trump is not happy with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a phone call between the two, in which Trump said Putin is not “looking to stop” the war, and expressing his frustration at not making any progress.
Via the NY Post:
President Trump expressed dismay with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin early Friday, admitting that the Kremlin tyrant has no interest in stopping his bloody war on neighboring Ukraine anytime soon.
“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had [Thursday] with President Putin because I don’t think he’s there. I’m just saying, I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad,” Trump told reporters after returning to Washington following a pre-Independence Day event in Iowa.
“It’s [former President Joe] Biden’s war, and I got stuck in the middle of it, just like I did with immigration and a lot of other things that they screwed up,” he went on. “But I was not happy with the conversation.”
During the roughly hour-long call, Moscow’s ruler stated that his country “will not back down” from the “goals” of its invasion, according to a Kremlin readout.
Russia has insisted that any peace agreement with Ukraine recognize its troop gains in the eastern Donbas region, a prospect Kyiv sees as a red line.
Moscow has also repeatedly rejected American and European cease-fire proposals, which have received buy-in from the Ukrainian government.
Prior to departing for Iowa, the president made clear that “I didn’t make any progress” with his Russian counterpart “at all.”
Earlier this week, the White House confirmed that it had halted shipments of missiles and other valuable material to Ukraine following a review of American stockpiles.
“Biden emptied out our whole country, giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves,” the 47th president contended.
“We’ve given so many weapons, but we are giving weapons, and we’re working with them and trying to help them.”
According to Axios, Trump has already spoken with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy today, and wants to bolster his air defenses since Putin is escalating attacks on Ukraine:
President Trump told Ukrainian President Zelensky in a call on Friday that the U.S. wants to help Ukraine with air defense, due to escalating Russian attacks, a Ukrainian official and a source with knowledge of the call said.
Why it matters: Earlier this week the Pentagon paused a weapons shipment, including air defense interceptors and ammunition, to Ukraine’s army.
The decision caught Ukraine and many Trump administration officials surprise.
The two sources said the call between Trump and Zelensky lasted around 40 minutes, with a major focus on Ukraine’s air defense needs.
One source said Trump was aware of the recent Russia escalation, including both air strikes on Ukrainian cities and on the frontline.
“Trump said he wants to help with air defense and that he will check what was put on hold if anything,” the source said.
The Ukrainian official said Trump and Zelensky agreed that teams from the U.S. and Ukraine soon will meet to discuss air defense and other weapons supplies.
The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Zeleskyy himself confirmed this with a tweet, saying he and Trump discussed air defense and will work together to make that happen:
I had a very important and fruitful conversation with @POTUS. I congratulated President Trump and the entire American people on the US Independence Day.
We – in Ukraine – are grateful for all the support provided. It helps us protect lives, safeguard our freedom and independence. We have achieved a lot together with America and we support all efforts to stop the killings and restore just, lasting, and dignified peace. A noble agreement for peace is needed.
Today we discussed the current situation, including Russian airstrikes and the broader frontline developments. President Trump is very well informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine. We spoke about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies. We have also agreed to a meeting between our teams.
We had a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.
We also touched on mutual procurement and investment. Finally, we exchanged views on the diplomatic situation and joint work with the U.S. and other partners.
Thank you!