President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction on 22/8 regarding Russia's attack on a US-owned factory in western Ukraine. "I'm not happy about anything to do with that whole war," he stated.
However, the US president emphasized his interest in whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet. "I think I'll be able to find out what Russia's attitude is, and frankly, Ukraine's attitude. We have to look at both sides’ attitudes," he said.
President Trump declared he would decide on the US's next steps after his self-imposed two-week deadline, stressing the significance of these decisions. "It could be very severe sanctions and or tariffs, or it could be nothing. Or we could say, 'It's their war'," he added.
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US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 22/8. Photo: AFP |
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on 22/8. Photo: AFP
In an interview on 21/8, the US president set a two-week timeframe to assess the prospects of Russia-Ukraine peace talks. He has repeatedly set two-week deadlines related to the Ukraine conflict and other matters. In late May, he established a similar timeframe to gauge President Putin's seriousness in pursuing a peace agreement.
Many of these deadlines have not materialized. Russia has dismissed the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Zelensky soon, despite President Trump's claim earlier this week that he was arranging a Russia-Ukraine summit.
President Trump has recently intensified his mediation efforts to end the Ukraine conflict. He held a summit with President Putin on 15/8 in Alaska and subsequently met with European leaders and President Zelensky at the White House on 18/8.
These events fueled expectations of a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Both leaders initially expressed openness to the idea, but subsequent developments suggest that the prospects for peace talks are fragile.
On 21/8, Russia stated that Ukraine seemed uninterested in "lasting peace", accusing Kyiv of seeking security guarantees incompatible with Moscow's demands. Meanwhile, Zelensky criticized Russia for "trying to avoid a meeting", suggesting that Moscow does not want to end the war.
Huyen Le (According to AFP)
