U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "not happy" with Russia's intensified attacks on Ukraine, while speaking during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 7.
"I'm not happy about what's going on with the bombing because they're bombing like crazy right now. They're bombing — I don't know what's happening there," Trump said.
His remarks came a day after similar comments on April 6, when he said, "I don't like the bombing."
The recent escalation includes a deadly missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown, on April 4. The attack killed 20 people, including 9 children. On April 6, a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv killed one and injured three others.
Ukraine on March 11 agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire, but Russia rejected the deal unless it curtailed foreign military aid and imposed restrictions on Ukraine's armed forces.
Trump's renewed criticism follows limited progress in U.S.-mediated talks held in Jeddah on March 11. The sides settled on a partial ceasefire focused on energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.
Just two days after the agreement, Ukraine accused Russia of violating the deal by striking power facilities in Kherson. Moscow denied the attack but warned it "reserves the right" to exit the agreement if Ukraine fails to comply.
The Kremlin also accused Ukraine of striking the Sudzha gas metering station in Kursk Oblast, a claim Kyiv dismissed as an attempt to justify further attacks.
Despite his role as mediator, Trump has not taken punitive measures in response to Russia's renewed aggression. He reiterated on April 7 that Moscow had avoided U.S. tariffs only because "we're not doing business, essentially, with Russia, because they're at war."
Trump's new tariff regime, announced under the "Liberation Day" policy, slapped duties on most major U.S. trading partners — including a 10% tariff on Ukraine.
The European Union was hit with 20%, and China with 54%. However, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Cuba were not included.
NBC News reported on March 30 that Trump is "pissed off" at Russian President Vladimir Putin's personal animosity toward Zelensky, while the Telegraph wrote on March 23 that he is increasingly angry over Russia's refusal to de-escalate the war.
Although Trump has repeatedly voiced disapproval over the violence, he has yet to introduce sanctions or direct measures to pressure the Kremlin, which continues its offensive operations across Ukraine.
Lucy Pakhnyuk
(Updated: )
