US should never have intervened in Ukraine
President Donald Trump has blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for funneling vast amounts of American taxpayer money into a foreign conflict that 'should have remained a European situation.'
Speaking to reporters at the White House following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, Trump expressed frustration over the 'crazy' scale of US involvement in the Ukraine conflict. He reiterated that it was 'not our war' and emphasized that his administration is working to end the hostilities through diplomacy.
'This is not our war. This is not my war… I mean, we got ourselves entangled in something that we shouldn't have been involved in. And we would have been a lot better off – and maybe the whole thing would have been better off – because it can't be much worse. It's a real mess,' Trump said.
The president stated that Washington has provided 'massive' and 'record-setting' levels of military and financial assistance to Kiev – far exceeding what the EU and other NATO countries have contributed.
'We don't have boots on the ground, we wouldn't have boots on the ground. But we do have a big stake. The financial amount that was put up is just crazy,' he added.
'Again, this was a European situation. It should have remained a European situation. But we got involved – much more than Europe did – because the past administration felt very strongly that we should," he said. "We gave massive amounts, I think record-setting amounts, both weaponry and money.'
Trump's conversation with Putin was followed by calls with several European leaders, including the heads of Germany, Italy, and the UK, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky. 'They have a big problem. It's a terrible war. The amount of anger, the amount of hate, the amount of death,' Trump said, noting that the conflict has reached a point where 'it's very hard to extradite themselves away from what's taken place over there.'
Trump said he believes both Putin and Zelensky want peace, but only time will tell if it can be achieved.
'There's a good chance we can get this done. I believe Putin wants to do it… My whole life is like deals, one big deal. And if I thought that President Putin did not want to get this over with, I wouldn't even be talking about it because I'd just pull out.'
Pressed by reporters on whether he had a 'red line' that would cause him to walk away from mediating the conflict or potentially escalate US involvement, Trump declined to elaborate. 'Yeah, I would say I do have a certain line, but I don't want to say what that line is because I think it makes the negotiation even more difficult than it is,' he said.
Putin described the conversation with Trump as 'frank' and 'quite useful,' adding that Moscow is prepared to work with Kiev on drafting a memorandum aimed at achieving a future peace agreement.
'In general, Russia's position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,' the Russian president said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Right-wing Nawrocki wins Polish presidential election
Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki was elected president of Poland in a runoff vote on Sunday, narrowly defeating centrist pro-EU Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. According to the National Electoral Commission, Nawrocki secured 50.89% of the vote, while Trzaskowski garnered 49.11%. Turnout reached 71.63%, one of the highest in recent Polish elections. Trzaskowski performed strongly in major cities, while Nawrocki led in rural areas and among older voters. Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, ran on a platform of Catholic values, greater national sovereignty, and rebalancing Poland's relationship with the EU. He leads the Institute of National Remembrance, a state-sponsored research center responsible for promoting Polish history and investigating crimes committed in Poland during both the Nazi occupation and the socialist era. Nawrocki met with US President Donald Trump at the White House last month.'President Trump said, 'You will win,'' the politician later told Polish media, according to Reuters. Trzaskowski is a senior figure in Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition (KO). He campaigned on strengthening ties with the EU, advancing judicial reforms, easing abortion restrictions, and introducing civil partnerships for LGBTQ couples. Both candidates pledged to increase defense spending, responding to calls from US President Donald Trump for Europe to contribute more to NATO. They also support continued aid to Ukraine. However, Trzaskowski backs Ukraine's NATO membership, calling it vital to Poland's security. Nawrocki has said he would not ratify it, warning it could drag NATO into a war with Russia. 'Poland needs a president who will defend the constitution and our values,' Nawrocki said during his final campaign appearance on Friday. Trzaskowski told supporters he envisions 'a modern European Poland that protects freedoms and the rule of law.' The official results are expected on Monday, when the National Electoral Commission announces the final count.
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
US terms for nuclear deal ‘out of touch with reality' – Iranian source to RT
The US proposal for a new nuclear agreement with Iran is unacceptable, an Iranian source familiar with the matter told RT. Washington recently outlined its terms in a letter to Iran after five rounds of talks mediated by Oman. 'Iran views the US written elements as extremely far from what could possibly be regarded as a fair and realistic basis for a likely compromise,' the source said. 'Iranians were dismayed to see such a fanciful, one-sided text that is so out of touch with reality,' the source added. The White House said on Sunday that President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, sent 'a detailed and acceptable proposal' to Tehran. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated Washington's position that 'Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Republic would provide a response 'in line with the principles, national interests, and rights of the people of Iran.' Trump earlier insisted on a 'total dismantlement' of Iran's nuclear program, suggesting the country should not be allowed to enrich uranium even for civilian purposes. Araghchi rejected these terms, saying the US must lift all sanctions and 'uphold Iran's nuclear rights, including enrichment.' During his first term in office, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 UN-backed nuclear deal, accusing Iran of secretly violating it. He then reimposed sanctions as part of his 'maximum pressure' campaign. Tehran denied breaching the 2015 deal at the time but has since increased uranium enrichment.
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukrainian strike on Russian airfields: what we know so far
Military airfields located in five Russian regions, including those in Siberia and the Far East, have been targeted in coordinated drone attacks orchestrated by Kiev, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. The Ukrainian media have claimed it was a major operation targeting Russian strategic aviation. According to Moscow, most strikes were repelled, with some resulting in material damage but no casualties. The airfields in question are located in Murmansk Region in the country's north, in Ivanovo and Ryazan regions in central Russia as well as in Irkutsk Region in Siberia and Amur Region in the far east, the country's defense ministry stated. According to the Ukrainian media, the airfields housed Russian strategic bombers Tu-95 and Tu-22M as well as an A-50 early warning and control plane among other aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry has not confirmed this information. Nor has it revealed the aircraft types stationed at the airfields targeted in the attack. It was the first time in over three years since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict that Kiev's forces targeted Russian facilities located in Siberia and the Far East. All the attacks employed first-person view (PFV) kamikaze drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that at least some of them were launched from areas located in close proximity to the airfields. It also blamed the 'Kiev regime' for the strikes it branded 'terrorist attacks.' According to both the Ukrainian and the Russian media, the drones were taking off from trucks parked not far from the airfields and loaded with containers. A Russian Shot Telegram channel published a video purporting to show several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying out of one such contained in the Irkutsk Region. Plumes of thick smoke can be seen at a distance behind the truck in the clip. Sounds of gunfire can also be heard on the video, with a witness claiming that some police officers attempted to shoot a drone down, using small arms. Another video posted by Shot showed a crowd of people trying to hit the drones flying out of a truck with stones. The video was also recorded in the Irkutsk Region, according to the strikes were part of a major Ukrainian operation targeting the Russian 'strategic aviation' and codenamed 'Spiderweb,' several Ukrainian media, including Channel 24 and RBK Ukraine, reported, citing sources within the nation's domestic security service (SBU). The SBU itself confirmed it was behind the operation as it published a photo of its head, Vasily Malyuk, looking at the maps of what appears to be five Russian airfields. The security service also claimed that about a third of Russian cruise missile carriers were hit in the attacks. According to the Ukrainian media, the nation's security service had prepared the operation for more than a year and a half as it gradually transported the drones and moveable containers to Russia. The operation was also allegedly personally overseen by Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, who reportedly claimed a total of 117 UAVs were used in the strikes, according to the reports. In Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions, the attacks were repelled and resulted in no damage or casualties, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. In Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, the strikes led to some aircraft catching fire, it added. The blaze was promptly extinguished, according to the Russian military. No casualties have been reported in any of the incidents. The Defense Ministry also did not report losing a single aircraft as a result of the attacks. The Ukrainian media have claimed that around 40 aircraft were damaged in the operation, including several strategic bombers. The Russian authorities have not commented on the Ukrainian media culprits behind the attacks have been detained, the Russian defense ministry said, without revealing the number of those arrested or their identities. According to Shot, the Russian investigative authorities identified the trucks involved in the attacks and are now 'working' with their drivers. Several Telegram channels, including Shot and Baza, also reported that the Russian OSINT investigators traced the drones back to a warehouse located in the Russian Chelyabinsk Region in the southern Urals. The Russian security service officers have reportedly raided the warehouse in question and are now investigating its owner. Some trucks involved in the attacks also allegedly were registered in the Chelyabinsk Region, according to the Telegram channels. One truck loaded with drones has reportedly failed to reach its destination, the Russian Telegram channels reported. The vehicle caught fire while on a road in the Amur Region and eventually exploded, the channels reported as they published a video purporting to show the moment of the explosion. The incident took place a day before the attack, according to Baza. A container caught fire that triggered the explosion was 'similar' to the ones seen on videos with drones, the channel said. A man who was driving the truck died in the incident, Baza said. He stopped the vehicle as he realized it was on fire and went to check for the source of the blaze at the very moment when it exploded, the channel reported, identifying him as Vasily P., 62. The attacks came just a day before the scheduled talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul. The two nations were scheduled to hold the second round of the recently resumed direct negotiations that were stalled for some three years after Kiev unilaterally walked away from the negotiating table in spring 2022. The two sides agreed to hold a major prisoner swap involving 1,000 POWs from each side during the first round of talks last month. On Monday, they are expected to exchange peace proposals as part of an agreement reached in May. Ukraine has significantly escalated drone strikes into Russia in recent weeks, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has earlier described the attacks as attempts to derail the peace process. The strikes occurred less than a day after two bridges in Russian regions were destroyed in what authorities described as sabotage. In Bryansk Region, an overpass fell onto a rail line, killing seven and injuring at least 69, according to the governor. Hours later, early Sunday, a railway bridge in Kursk Region gave way under a moving freight train, injuring the driver and two assistants. The Russian Investigative Committee said that both bridges were 'blown up' while stopping short of naming any suspects behind the attacks. Russian Senator Andrey Klishas blamed Kiev for both incidents.
