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Donald Trump expressed growing frustration with Russia over its ongoing attacks on Ukraine but maintained that a resolution to end the conflict was still possible.
On Sunday evening, the US President reiterated his criticism of Vladimir Putin regarding Moscow’s continued airstrikes on Ukraine, as Washington’s patience wanes amid stalled attempts to negotiate peace.
“I was very disappointed by the missiles launched by Russia,” Trump told reporters while returning to the White House. “I want Putin to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal.”
These remarks come as Washington seeks to increase pressure on both parties to agree to a ceasefire, following Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome.
Trump described the encounter, the first since a high-profile meeting at the Oval Office in February, as a “beautiful meeting” and commended Zelenskyy for “doing a good job,” adding, “I see him as calmer. I think he understands the situation and wants to make a deal.”
Last week, Russia launched its deadliest strike of the year on Kyiv, resulting in 12 civilian deaths and 90 injuries. Following the attack, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to issue a rare critique of his Russian counterpart. “Vladimir, STOP!” he wrote, condemning the attack as “unnecessary.”
In an interview aired on US television on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted that Russia would not cease its strikes.
“We will continue to target the sites used by the military of Ukraine, foreign mercenaries, and European instructors assisting in targeting Russian civilian sites,” Lavrov stated on CBS’s Face the Nation show during a pre-recorded segment.
Zelenskyy noted on Sunday that the ongoing Russian strikes, including nearly 70 by midday, highlighted the need for “more tangible pressure on Russia to create more opportunities for real diplomacy.”
He posted on X, stating: “The situation on the frontline and the activity of the Russian army prove that the current global pressure on Russia is insufficient to end this war.”
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin last week in what the Kremlin described as a “constructive” meeting.
However, senior administration officials indicated that Washington’s patience is dwindling, and there is a willingness to abandon peace talks if a deal is not swiftly reached.
“It needs to happen soon,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. “We cannot continue to dedicate resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition.”
He mentioned that the US would likely decide this week whether to remain involved in the peace process or focus on other issues.
