Putin's top aide says ‘Trump not getting enough information' about Ukraine

Mint

5 days ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin's top aide, Yuri Ushakov, has alleged that US President Donald Trump is not being adequately informed about the true scope of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, especially regarding what Moscow describes as Ukrainian "terrorist attacks" on Russian territory.
'There is a lot that Trump says, we read it all, track it,' Ushakov said in an interview with Kremlin-aligned journalist Pavel Zarubin, ABC News reported. 'But in many ways we come to the conclusion that Trump is not getting enough information about what is really happening in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian confrontation.'
Ushakov accused Ukraine of orchestrating repeated attacks on Russian cities—actions he characterised as terrorism targeting civilians.
'In particular, he [Trump] is not being informed enough about what massive terrorist attacks are being carried out by Ukraine against peaceful Russian cities,' Ushakov claimed.
He said Trump is only seeing one side of the conflict and fails to grasp Russia's alleged restraint in response.
According to Ushakov, Trump's understanding is limited to Russian countermeasures, without recognizing the targets being struck.
'Trump only knows what countermeasures we are taking,' he said. 'And he does not fully understand that we are attacking military institutions or military industrial complexes.'
Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, both Russia and Ukraine have ramped up their military offensives despite Trump's campaign pledge to end the war 'within 24 hours.' Far from de-escalating, the conflict has intensified, with renewed aerial attacks and a spike in civilian casualties.
Trump's promised breakthrough has not materialised, and his tone has turned increasingly combative in recent weeks, both toward Russian President Vladimir Putin and toward the pace of diplomacy.
On Sunday, Trump lashed out at Putin in a social media post, calling the Russian leader 'absolutely crazy.' He escalated his rhetoric again on Tuesday, posting: 'What Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He's playing with fire!'
The remarks come amid reports that Trump is growing frustrated with the lack of progress in US-led ceasefire efforts, which have failed to bring the warring sides closer to a deal.
Following a phone call between Trump and Putin earlier, the Kremlin reportedly promised to deliver a peace memorandum. That document, however, has yet to surface publicly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cast doubt on the sincerity of Russia's intentions, posting on Tuesday: 'They've already spent over a week on this. They talk a lot about diplomacy. But when, in the midst of all that, there are constant Russian strikes, constant killings, relentless assaults, and even preparations for new offensives.'
Despite Russian claims that its strikes are limited to military targets, recent weeks have seen a surge in attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Drone and missile strikes have devastated residential neighborhoods, killing dozens.