As Moscow escalates strikes and rejects talks with Kyiv, Trump says he's 'very disappointed' in Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sept. 2 that he was "very disappointed" in Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid a lack of concrete results stemming from his summit in Alaska with Putin.
"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we'll be doing something to help people live," Trump said in an interview on the Scott Jennings Radio Show.
"It's not a question of Ukraine. It's help people live," he added. "7,000 are dying every single week — soldiers mostly — but 7,000 people. And if I can help to stop that, I think I have an obligation to do that.
"I'm very disappointed in him (Putin). He and I have always had a great relationship. Very disappointed," Trump repeated.
Trump's comments come as Russia continues to launch large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities, including on Kyiv. The U.S. president's comments came in response to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent comments the day prior that Putin "has, in a despicable, despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign."
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 29 that the death toll of the Aug. 28 Russian attack on Kyiv has risen to 25, following a large-scale attack that involved 598 drones and 31 missiles.
Later in the day, during a news conference in the Oval Office, Trump said that he has "learned things that will be very interesting," when asked whether he had spoken with Putin in the past week, adding that "in the next few days, you'll find out."
Following his summit with Putin in Alaska and subsequent meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leader at the White House, Trump said on Aug. 21 that his administration will know within two weeks whether there will be peace in Ukraine.
Despite Trump's hope that the meetings will lead to a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin, the Kremlin has rejected the prospects of a meeting with Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Aug. 24 that the Kremlin will not accept Zelensky's signature on legal documents establishing terms for an end to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine — furthering false Russian propaganda claims that Zelensky's government is illegitimate.
A source in Ukraine's President's Office told the Kyiv Independent that a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin won't happen unless the U.S. ups pressure on the Russian leader.
Trump himself acknowledged this on Aug. 25, saying Putin didn't want to meet with Zelensky because "he doesn't like him," and on Aug. 28 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz became the first Western leader to write the meeting off, saying it "obviously" wasn't going to go ahead.
Bessent told Fox News on Sept. 1 that the Trump administration is considering new sanctions on Russia after intensified strikes on Ukraine despite recent peace talks. U.S. lawmakers have also signaled they are ready to impose tough sanctions if peace efforts collapse.
Trump has previously set out a series of deadlines to end the war in Ukraine, threatening to implement secondary sanctions on Russia if it had not reached a peace deal — none of which have come to fruition.
In his evening address on Sept. 2, Zelensky once again called for additional economic pressure on Moscow to bring it to the negotiating table.
"Russia hears nothing but strength, and it will keep lying until its losses are heavy enough. All our partners understand this. What matters now is the resolve to act. Additional sanctions that actually hit – they are needed. Tariffs that limit Russian trade and cut funding for Russia’s war machine – all these are much needed too."
