"Let's just say my patience is waning, and waning very quickly, but for anything to happen, both sides have to cooperate," former President Donald Trump said in a September 12 Fox News interview, when asked if he was losing patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin over peace negotiations in Ukraine.
"It's unbelievable. When President Putin wanted to act, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disagreed. When Zelensky wanted to, Putin refused. Now Zelensky wants to, but Putin's intentions are unclear," Trump added.
Trump affirmed having a good personal relationship with Putin, but expressed disappointment that the Russian leader hasn't ended the war.
"We're going to have to act very strongly," Trump stated, mentioning sanctions and tariffs on Russian banks and oil as an option. "I've done it, done it a lot."
Trump mentioned India, a major importer of Russian oil, faces a 50% tariff on exports to the US, a move that has strained relations between Washington and New Delhi.
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Former President Trump at the White House on 11/9. Photo: AFP |
Former President Trump at the White House on 11/9. Photo: AFP
After returning to the White House, Trump intensified his mediation efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The former US president held a summit with Putin on 15/8 in Alaska and subsequently met with European leaders and Zelensky at the White House on 18/8.
These events fueled expectations of a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky to discuss measures to end the conflict. Both leaders initially expressed willingness, but later developments indicated a fragile prospect for peace talks.
On 2/9, Trump expressed "great disappointment" that Putin hadn't reached a peace agreement with Ukraine. Zelensky accused Russia of obstructing a summit between the two leaders, while Moscow said the agenda for such a meeting wasn't ready.
Last week, Putin warned that Russia would continue its special operation to end the conflict in Ukraine by force if a peace agreement wasn't reached. On 12/9, the Kremlin said peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were "paused", accusing Europe of hindering efforts to end the war.
Nhu Tam (AFP, Reuters)
