In a rare display of disapproval, President Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” on Thursday in response to a devastating assault on the Ukrainian city of Kyiv.
The Russian attacks on KYIV have made me very unhappy. Not required, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Vladimir, QUIT! There are five thousand casualties every week among the military. “I told you so,” Trump said on his Truth Social page. “We must complete the peace deal!”
Russian rockets and drones bombarded Kyiv for hours. The bloodiest attack on the city since last July left at least 12 people dead and 90 wounded.
The lack of movement in a U.S.-led attempt to obtain a peace accord between Russia and Ukraine is increasing Trump’s displeasure.
On Wednesday, Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of extending the “killing field” by avoiding a potential settlement that would involve relinquishing the Crimean Peninsula to Russia. In 2014, that territory was unlawfully acquired by Russia.
Trump seemed to imply that Putin was not helping himself by claiming that the Russian leader had “very bad timing” with the massive attack. This would mean that any peace agreement would have to include Russia retaining control of Crimea and the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson in Ukraine that it has invaded since February 2022.
In his remarks later on Thursday, Trump seemed a little more upbeat about the chances of reaching an agreement.
“We are thinking that, very strongly, that they both want peace,” the president stated as he began a meal with visiting Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. “However, they must sit down at the table,” he said. It’s been quite some time.
Recognizing seized land as Russian is a barrier that Ukraine will not cross, according to Zelenskyy. He pointed out on Thursday that despite Ukraine’s acceptance of a U.S. ceasefire offer forty-four days ago, which was a prerequisite for a negotiated solution, strikes from Moscow had persisted.
Given Trump’s frequent claims that Russia is more amenable to a settlement than Ukraine, his criticism of Putin is noteworthy. Russia is the aggressor in this crisis.
For whatever reason, Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he believed dealing with Zelenskyy would be simpler. No big deal; it’s been more challenging thus far. That’s OK.
Trump has concentrated on determining which leader has more influence in his negotiations with Zelenskyy and Putin. In contrast to Zelenskyy, Putin possesses “the cards,” according to Trump’s frequent assertions. Trump has always held Putin in high regard, and the newly inaugurated Republican government has moved in a more cooperative direction with him.
Among other topics, Trump was expected to address the crisis in Ukraine and U.S. tariffs during his meeting with Norway’s Gahr Støre.
Norway and Russia share a border of around 123 miles (198 kilometers), and Norway is a NATO member and a major supporter of Ukraine.
“Close contact between Norway and the USA is crucial,” Gahr Støre stated in a Thursday social media post, adding that he will emphasize this point during the meetings.
He emphasized the need of working for a fair and long-lasting peace in Ukraine.
Putin should “stop lying” about wanting “peace” while bombing Ukraine, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
From his visit to Madagascar, Macron made it clear that he was waiting for President Putin to commit to an unconditional ceasefire. President Putin should be the center of “the Americans’ anger,” Macron said.
In response to Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy over Ukraine’s position on Crimea, the French foreign ministry also provided balanced rebuttal.
According to a European person informed about the situation, U.S. officials offered a solution that would have allowed Russia to maintain control of seized Ukrainian territory during negotiations last week in Paris. On Wednesday, officials from the United States, Europe, and Ukraine met to review the idea once again.
The stance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity cannot be compromised, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine. “Yesterday in a meeting with a comparable format in London, we restated last week’s stance.”
Lemoine responded to the question of whether France agreed with Trump that the war has dragged on too long because of Ukraine’s stance by saying that the Ukrainians have shown they are willing to negotiate even while Russia keeps bombing.
“Our perception is that the Russians are causing the discussions to stall,” he stated.
On Tuesday, the White House made public the fact that Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, will be visiting Moscow this week to resume war negotiations with Putin. Since Trump’s inauguration in January, this would be their fourth encounter.
On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Rutte also had meetings scheduled with State Secretary Marco Rubio and Trump’s national security advisor, Michael Waltz.
The 32-member alliance’s top brass will gather in the Netherlands in just over two months. Trump has urged them to increase defense expenditure substantially.
Their agreement to allocate a minimum of 2% of GDP to military spending came in 2023, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine reached its second year. According to the annual report that NATO issued on Thursday, the number of partners that achieved that aim last year was 22, down from a previous prediction of 23.
If we want NATO to continue to be a major military advantage for all of our countries in 2025, we’ll have to step up our game. It is crucial for our ongoing freedom and prosperity,” Rutte stated in his letter.