‘Putin really let me down’: Trump says he thought war in Ukraine would be ‘easy to solve’

On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondentsGet a weekly dispatch from our international correspondentsGet a weekly international news dispatchDonald Trump has said that Vladimir Putin has “really let me down” over his failure to take steps to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference at Chequers alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the US President said he believed the conflict would be the “easiest to solve” due to his personal relationship with the Russian leader. Hopes of a potential peace deal have not materialised following a summit held between Putin and Trump in Alaska last month, during which Trump urged the Russian president to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Since, Trump’s various deadlines and ultimatums for the Russian leader to engage with proposals have passed without obvious consequences.“I thought this war would be one of the easiest to solve because of my relationship with Putin. But he has really let me down,” Trump told reporters. “I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers. But, yeah, he’s let me down.”open image in galleryU.S. President Donald Trump listens as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference at Chequers (REUTERS)Trump said that Putin would “drop out” of the war if the price of oil decreased as he appealed to European countries to halt purchasing energy from Russia. “If the oil prices come down, then Russia will settle.”He went on to suggest that Putin had started the war in February 2022 because “he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States” at the time.”If I were president, it would have never happened, and it didn’t happen for four years. People, most people, agree. It didn’t happen, nor was it close to happening,” he said. “I spoke to president Putin about Ukraine, it was the apple of his eye. I’ve said that many times, it was, but he would have never done what he did, except that he didn’t respect the leadership of the US.”open image in galleryTrump and Putin at a summit in Alaska (Sputnik)Elsewhere, Sir Keir claimed that Europe has been “stepping up to the plate” in the past few months over increasing support for Ukraine. “We have built the coalition of the willing with British leadership and French leadership, stepping up with military planning in the seas, in the sky, on the ground and ramping up what we do with the Ukrainians themselves,” he said. Last week, Trump said he was ready for major sanctions on Moscow – but only when Nato gives up the “shocking” purchasing of Russian oil.He wrote on Truth Social: “As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia. Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?”



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