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Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump's impotent words on the Ukraine War
President Trump has repeatedly cited as an asset his 'very good' relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, that 'very good' relationship has delivered nothing in terms of a more accommodating Kremlin approach to settling the Russia-Ukraine war. Putin has taken no serious steps in response to Trump's calls to halt the fighting. Trump should therefore back his words with actions. In 2024, Trump claimed he could end the war in 24 hours. On Jan. 22, just two days after returning to the presidency, Trump addressed the conflict on Truth Social: 'I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin. … All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! … IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia…' Several days later, Putin praised Trump as 'clever' and 'pragmatic.' The Russian president did not, however, suggest any change in approach to his war against Ukraine. Trump took no action. On Mar. 11, the Trump administration secured Ukraine's agreement to a 30-day ceasefire. Steve Witkoff, a businessman who leads the negotiating with Moscow, conveyed the ceasefire proposal directly to Putin three days later. Putin did not accept it but offered instead a much narrower agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Trump took no action. The fighting raged on. On Mar. 30 — with Russia still rejecting the U.S.-proposed full ceasefire — Trump said Putin's questioning of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility made him 'very angry, pissed off.' But Trump took no action. During the night of Apr. 23 to 24, the Russian military struck Kyiv with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones, killing 12 civilians and wounding more than 90. Trump wrote that he was 'not happy' and continued, 'Vladimir, STOP! … Lets [sic] get the Peace Deal DONE!' Putin's response? Russian drones mocked Trump's call, killing another eight Ukrainians the following night. Again, Trump took no action, not even to delay Witkoff's fourth visit to Moscow. On Apr. 25, his envoy greeted Putin with a broad, friendly smile. Putin has been playing Trump. Does the U.S. president now understand this? On Apr. 26, he posted on Truth Social a rant attacking Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for not doing enough for Ukraine — failing to mention that, during Trump's first term, he did nothing to return Crimea to Ukraine or end the fighting in Donbas. His post went on: 'With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?'' Will Trump finally take action? Putin has learned from experience to expect no real measures, only words, from the U.S. president. And those words look increasingly impotent and weak. Were Trump to choose to act, he has lots of potential leverage. Western sanctions have impacted Putin's economy, but less than hoped, due in large part to loopholes. Trump could work with the European Union and other U.S. partners to close the sanction loopholes and raise the economic costs to Russia of continuing the war. Trump could ask Congress for more money for military assistance for Ukraine. Just asking would force the Kremlin to consider Russia's prospects on the battlefield if the United States continued to provide arms to the Ukrainian military. Trump also could work with the G7 and European Union to seize frozen Russian Central Bank assets and convert them to a fund on which Kyiv could draw to fund weapons purchases and reconstruction. Actions such as these would confront Putin with the reality that, if he continues the war and does not pursue negotiations seriously, the military, economic and political costs to Russia will rise. On Apr. 27, Trump told the press, 'I want him [Putin] to stop shooting, sit down and make a deal,' but if Russian attacks continued, 'I have a lot of things that I can do.' Trump indeed has many things he could do to get the Russians to take a more serious approach to end the war. If he wants to get Putin's attention, he should start doing them. Steven Pifer, an affiliate with Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation, is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's impotent words on the Ukraine War
President Trump has repeatedly cited as an asset his 'very good' relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, that 'very good' relationship has delivered nothing in terms of a more accommodating Kremlin approach to settling the Russia-Ukraine war. Putin has taken no serious steps in response to Trump's calls to halt the fighting. Trump should therefore back his words with actions. In 2024, Trump claimed he could end the war in 24 hours. On Jan. 22, just two days after returning to the presidency, Trump addressed the conflict on Truth Social: 'I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin. … All of that being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! … IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia…' Several days later, Putin praised Trump as 'clever' and 'pragmatic. ' The Russian president did not, however, suggest any change in approach to his war against Ukraine. Trump took no action. On Mar. 11, the Trump administration secured Ukraine's agreement to a 30-day ceasefire. Steve Witkoff, a businessman who leads the negotiating with Moscow, conveyed the ceasefire proposal directly to Putin three days later. Putin did not accept it but offered instead a much narrower agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Trump took no action. The fighting raged on. On Mar. 30 — with Russia still rejecting the U.S.-proposed full ceasefire — Trump said Putin's questioning of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility made him 'very angry, pissed off.' But Trump took no action. During the night of Apr. 23 to 24, the Russian military struck Kyiv with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones, killing 12 civilians and wounding more than 90. Trump wrote that he was 'not happy' and continued, 'Vladimir, STOP! … Lets [sic] get the Peace Deal DONE!' Putin's response? Russian drones mocked Trump's call, killing another eight Ukrainians the following night. Again, Trump took no action, not even to delay Witkoff's fourth visit to Moscow. On Apr. 25, his envoy greeted Putin with a broad, friendly smile. Putin has been playing Trump. Does the U.S. president now understand this? On Apr. 26, he posted on Truth Social a rant attacking Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for not doing enough for Ukraine — failing to mention that, during Trump's first term, he did nothing to return Crimea to Ukraine or end the fighting in Donbas. His post went on: 'With all of that being said, there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through 'Banking' or 'Secondary Sanctions?'' Will Trump finally take action? Putin has learned from experience to expect no real measures, only words, from the U.S. president. And those words look increasingly impotent and weak. Were Trump to choose to act, he has lots of potential leverage. Western sanctions have impacted Putin's economy, but less than hoped, due in large part to loopholes. Trump could work with the European Union and other U.S. partners to close the sanction loopholes and raise the economic costs to Russia of continuing the war. Trump could ask Congress for more money for military assistance for Ukraine. Just asking would force the Kremlin to consider Russia's prospects on the battlefield if the United States continued to provide arms to the Ukrainian military. Trump also could work with the G7 and European Union to seize frozen Russian Central Bank assets and convert them to a fund on which Kyiv could draw to fund weapons purchases and reconstruction. Actions such as these would confront Putin with the reality that, if he continues the war and does not pursue negotiations seriously, the military, economic and political costs to Russia will rise. On Apr. 27, Trump told the press, 'I want him [Putin] to stop shooting, sit down and make a deal,' but if Russian attacks continued, 'I have a lot of things that I can do.' Trump indeed has many things he could do to get the Russians to take a more serious approach to end the war. If he wants to get Putin's attention, he should start doing them.
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia TV Cuts Short Donald Trump's Critique of Putin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russian state media has deliberately omitted U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of its leader from its coverage, according to an independent Russian investigative outlet. According to the news site Agentstvo, media controlled by the Kremlin has "censored" Trump by not reporting that the U.S. president has been criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin since last week. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment by email. Why It Matters Relations between Washington and Moscow have thawed since Trump was sworn into office in January, but tensions are mounting as the U.S. leader attempts to broker peace talks to end the war. After Russia launched an attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, last week, Trump publicly urged Putin to stop his attacks and expressed his disappointment in the leader for continuing military actions. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, looking at U.S. President Donald Trump during the welcoming ceremony prior to the G20 Summit's Plenary Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 30, 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, looking at U.S. President Donald Trump during the welcoming ceremony prior to the G20 Summit's Plenary Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 30, To Know Last week, Trump urged Putin to "STOP!" after Russian forces launched an attack on Kyiv, killing at least 12 people. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!" The Trump administration also warned it would abandon diplomatic efforts to end the war if Russia and Ukraine did not soon accept a Washington-brokered peace proposal. However, Russian state television channels and Kremlin-controlled media—including Russia-1 and news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti—have omitted Trump's criticism of Putin from their coverage, according to Agentstvo. They left out Trump's calls for Putin to stop the attacks on Ukraine. On Sunday, Vesti Nedeli, a program on Russia-1, selectively quoted Trump's criticism of Putin on social media, citing only the portions that excluded any criticism of the Russian president. Instead, the segment highlighted Trump's earlier remarks criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump criticized Zelensky on April 23 after Kyiv's leader said he wouldn't accept Russia's demands to legally recognize the annexation of Crimea. Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula in 2014, but it remains internationally recognized as Ukrainian. "Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea," Zelensky told reporters on April 22, adding, "It is against our constitution." Trump and Zelensky met one-on-one at the Vatican on Saturday ahead of Pope Francis' funeral. After that meeting, reporters asked Trump whether Zelensky might be willing to give up Crimea. The U.S. president responded: "Oh, I think so, yeah. Look, Crimea was 12 years ago." Meanwhile, European and Ukrainian officials fear Trump is close to abandoning his efforts to put an end to the war, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people briefed on the discussions. What People Are Saying U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India on April 23: "We have engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy and on-the-ground work. We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians. I think that we put together a very fair proposal. "It's time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process. The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you're ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict." Vance told Charlie Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, on his podcast on Monday: "If this doesn't stop, the Ukrainians aren't winning the war. I think there's this weird idea among the mainstream media that if this thing goes on for just another few years, the Russians will collapse, the Ukrainians will take their territory back, and everything will go back to the way that it was before the war, that is not the reality that we live in." What Happens Next Plans are in motion for a meeting between Trump and Putin, with Trump indicating they could meet "shortly" following his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in May.
Miami Herald
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russia Launches Massive Ukraine Attacks After Trump Tells Putin To Stop
Russia has launched its largest wave of strikes on Ukraine since Thursday, when President Donald Trump urged his Russian counterpart to halt attacks on Moscow's neighbor, according to an independent investigative Russian news outlet. Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin for comment by email. Trump is faltering in his efforts to broker peace talks to end the conflict. As Russia and Ukraine struggle to reach mutually acceptable terms, Trump has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop his attacks on the war-torn country and has expressed his disappointment in the leader for continuing military actions. Russia attacked Ukraine's Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy and Cherkasy regions with 149 drones on Sunday night. It marked the largest attack on the country since Trump urged Putin to stop military actions on Thursday, news site Agentstvo reported. Of these drones, Ukraine's air defenses shot down 57, while 67 didn't reach their targets, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Ukraine's military also launched drones into Russian territory. Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted and downed 115 drones over Russian land overnight-the majority over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine. Last week, Trump urged Putin to "STOP!" after his military launched an attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, killing at least 12 people. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying." Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!" Trump's administration said that it would abandon diplomatic efforts to end the war if Russia and Ukraine didn't accept a Washington peace proposal soon. Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 23 after Kyiv's leader said he wouldn't accept Russia's demands to legally recognize the annexation of Crimea. The Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, but is internationally recognized as Ukrainian. "Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea," Zelensky told reporters on April 22. "It is against our constitution." Trump and Zelensky met one-on-one at the Vatican on Saturday where talks went well. After that meeting, Trump was asked by reporters if Zelensky might be willing to give up Crimea. The U.S. president responded: "Oh, I think so, yeah. Look, Crimea was 12 years ago." Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India on April 23: "We have engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy and on-the-ground work. We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians. I think that we put together a very fair proposal. "It's time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process. The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you're ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict." A meeting between Trump and Putin is being planned. The U.S. president has said he may meet with his Russian counterpart "shortly" after his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in May. Related Articles Russian Nuclear Submarine Fires Kalibr Cruise Missile Over 1000kmKremlin 'Ready' for Ukraine Talks as Trump Criticizes Putin AgainKim Jong Un Breaks Silence on North Korean Troops Fighting for RussiaTrump Issues Ukraine-Russia Deal Deadline, 'Disappointed' in Putin 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia Launches Massive Ukraine Attacks After Trump Tells Putin To Stop
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russia has launched its largest wave of strikes on Ukraine since Thursday, when President Donald Trump urged his Russian counterpart to halt attacks on Moscow's neighbor, according to an independent investigative Russian news outlet. Newsweek has reached out to the Kremlin for comment by email. Why It Matters Trump is faltering in his efforts to broker peace talks to end the conflict. As Russia and Ukraine struggle to reach mutually acceptable terms, Trump has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop his attacks on the war-torn country and has expressed his disappointment in the leader for continuing military actions. What To Know Russia attacked Ukraine's Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy and Cherkasy regions with 149 drones on Sunday night. It marked the largest attack on the country since Trump urged Putin to stop military actions on Thursday, news site Agentstvo reported. Of these drones, Ukraine's air defenses shot down 57, while 67 didn't reach their targets, the Ukrainian Air Force said. Ukraine's military also launched drones into Russian territory. Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted and downed 115 drones over Russian land overnight—the majority over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine. Last week, Trump urged Putin to "STOP!" after his military launched an attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, killing at least 12 people. "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying." Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!" Trump's administration said that it would abandon diplomatic efforts to end the war if Russia and Ukraine didn't accept a Washington peace proposal soon. Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 23 after Kyiv's leader said he wouldn't accept Russia's demands to legally recognize the annexation of Crimea. The Black Sea peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, but is internationally recognized as Ukrainian. "Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea," Zelensky told reporters on April 22. "It is against our constitution." Trump and Zelensky met one-on-one at the Vatican on Saturday where talks went well. After that meeting, Trump was asked by reporters if Zelensky might be willing to give up Crimea. The U.S. president responded: "Oh, I think so, yeah. Look, Crimea was 12 years ago." What People Are Saying Vice President JD Vance told reporters in India on April 23: "We have engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy and on-the-ground work. We really tried to understand things from the perspectives of both Ukrainians and Russians. I think that we put together a very fair proposal. "It's time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process. The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you're ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict." What Happens Next A meeting between Trump and Putin is being planned. The U.S. president has said he may meet with his Russian counterpart "shortly" after his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in May.
