Late Thursday, President Trump expressed his “very disappointed” feelings following his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing that there was “no progress” toward ending the ongoing war in Eastern Europe.
“I’m really disappointed with today’s discussion with Putin because I don’t think he’s there yet. I believe he’s trying to stop it, but honestly, I think it’s quite a shame,” he remarked.
He also mentioned plans to speak with Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky on Friday.
During his earlier call with Putin, Trump noted a lack of advancements in negotiating a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
“We had a lengthy conversation. We covered a lot of topics, including Iran, and, of course, the war in Ukraine,” he said. “But frankly, I made no progress with him today.”
This call with Putin marked their first conversation since the Department of Defense halted the delivery of various air defense missiles and ammunition to Ukraine, citing concerns about low military stockpiles.
When questioned about this suspension, Trump minimized its significance. “We’re still providing weapons… and we’re trying to assist them. But you know, it’s been said that Biden has depleted the country’s supplies, and we need to ensure we have enough for ourselves,” he stated.
Trump urged Putin to conclude the conflict in Ukraine, yet the Kremlin reportedly dismissed these endeavors. Putin’s close aide, Yuri Ushakov, conveyed that Russia wouldn’t separate military targets in Ukraine.
Ushakov added that the two leaders didn’t discuss the suspension of arms shipments to Ukraine and asserted Putin’s readiness to keep negotiating with Kiev.
Trump has expressed a long-standing desire to mediate peace agreements in Eastern Europe, aiming to resolve the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II, although he has faced challenges in achieving this.
In a significant escalation, Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine late Thursday, deploying over 540 drones in strikes against Kiev and other regions, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
“Interestingly, we started receiving air raid warnings in our cities almost simultaneously with the media coverage of the Trump-Putin calls,” Zelensky commented in a Friday update on social media.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it intercepted 48 Ukrainian drones during these operations.
