Trump says Putin ‘tired’ of Ukraine war, but fears he doesn’t want peace deal
Trump hopes Putin seeks peace in Ukraine but warns of a ‘rough situation’ if not, hinting at strained diplomacy and security challenges ahead
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he hoped Vladimir Putin was going to “be good” and move towards ending the war in Ukraine, but conceded it was possible the Russian president doesn’t want to make a deal.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said in an interview with the Fox News Fox & Friends programme.
Trump spoke the day after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House for talks on his peace efforts, a meeting that followed his summit with Putin in Alaska last Friday.
“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks … It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal,” Trump said.
“I hope President Putin is going to be good, and if he’s not, it’s going to be a rough situation. And I hope that … President Zelensky will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility also,” Trump said.
Trump has faced sharp criticism from Democrats and others, who have warned against placing any trust in Putin.
“President Trump must abandon the delusion that Putin is going to engage in good faith to end this conflict,” US Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, calling for swift action to put real pressure on Russia.