US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was “very disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin and, without elaborating, added that his administration was planning to take actions to reduce deaths in Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Republican leader also stated that he was not concerned about the close relationship between Russia and China.
Trump held a summit with Putin in Alaska in mid-August and subsequently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European and NATO leaders at the White House. Following those meetings, Trump said he expected Zelensky and Putin to hold a bilateral meeting before a trilateral one that would also include him. Zelensky has said that Russia is doing everything it can to prevent a meeting between him and Putin, while Russia maintains that the agenda for such a meeting is not yet ready.
“I am very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we will be doing something to help people live,” Trump said in an interview on The Scott Jennings Radio Show. Trump has told Zelensky that Washington would help guarantee Ukraine’s security in any peace deal. He has also renewed his threat to impose further sanctions on Russia if there is no progress toward a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.
Russia currently occupies about a fifth of Ukraine, and Trump has said that “land-swapping” and territorial changes will be crucial for any settlement. Ukraine opposes the idea of legally recognizing any of its territory as Russian, though it has tacitly acknowledged that it will almost certainly have to accept some de facto territorial losses.
When asked in the interview if he was concerned “about an axis forming against the United States with China and Russia,” Trump responded, “I am not concerned at all.” He added, “We have the strongest military in the world, by far. They would never use their military on us. Believe me.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Putin for talks in China, referring to him as his “old friend.” Xi also held talks on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country has been a target of Trump’s criticism over its purchases of Russian oil.
