United States President Donald Trump on Thursday remarked that Russian President Vladimir Putin has let him down by not stopping the war with Ukraine. He made the statement during a joint press conference with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump stated that he had initially thought that the Russia-Ukraine war would be the “easiest” one to solve, but it was not the case.
What did Trump say?
Pointing at Putin, Trump said that Russia is killing and losing many people by continuing the conflict. He highlighted that Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher than the Ukrainian soldiers. “He has let me down. I mean, he’s killing many people and he’s losing more people than he’s, you know, than he’s killing. I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers,” stated Trump.
Trump reiterated that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia would not have started if he had remained in office. “This was a thing that would have never happened had I been president. If I were president, it would have never happened. And it didn’t happen for four years,” Trump stated. “Most people agree it didn’t happen, nor was it close to happening,” he added.
This is not the first time that the US President has publicly expressed disappointment with his Russian counterpart Putin. On multiple occasions, Trump had maintained that he is unhappy witH Russia’s actions during the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Despite Trump trying to broker a peace between the two sides, a deal has not yet been finalised.
Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea, escalated into a full-scale war in February 2022. Since then, the conflict has seen intense fighting particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine. Russia has captured strategic areas like Mariupol and made gains in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. While Ukraine has launched major counteroffensives, especially in the south and northeast, successfully reclaiming some territory.
A notable expansion in the conflict occurred when in August 2024, Ukraine forces crossed into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, capturing territory and prisoners. According to the United Nations, the war has resulted in over 10,000 civilian deaths, several injured, with millions displaced millions and facing a humanitarian crisis.
Also Read: US President Trump Says He Is ‘Very Close’ To India, PM Modi
.
