Trump says Putin ‘really let me down’, believed Ukraine war would be ‘easiest to solve’

LONDON, ENGLAND: Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian leader has failed to take steps to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the Republican leader said he had once believed the conflict could be resolved quickly due to his personal ties with Putin.

Trump believed ties to Putin would help resolve Ukraine war

Donald Trump reflected on a recent summit in Alaska with the Russian leader, where he had urged him to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The 79-year-old commander-in-chief said his proposals were ignored, despite his belief that his relationship with Putin could bring about an end to the conflict.

“I thought this war would be one of the easiest to solve because of my relationship with Putin. But he has really let me down,” Trump told reporters.

“I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers. But, yeah, he’s let me down," he added.

Trump insists Ukraine war would not have happened under his presidency

Donald Trump pointed to his own term in office as evidence that the conflict would not have occurred.

“If I were president, it would have never happened, and it didn’t happen for four years. People, most people, agree. It didn’t happen, nor was it close to happening,” he said.

“I spoke to President Putin about Ukraine, it was the apple of his eye. I’ve said that many times, it was, but he would have never done what he did, except that he didn’t respect the leadership of the US," Trump noted.

The MAGA leader also claimed that the war “doesn’t affect the United States” directly, while acknowledging the toll of casualties. “Of course, you are a lot closer to the scene than we are. We have a whole ocean separating us," he told Starmer.

"But I will say this. It's millions of people have died in that war. Millions of souls. And they're not American soldiers, mostly soldiers. As you know, the soldiers are being killed at levels nobody's seen since the Second World War, but they're being, they're being killed. And I feel I have an obligation to get it settled for that reason,” Trump further said to Starmer.

Trump says Putin would drop out of war when oil prices fall

Donald Trump suggested that Vladimir Putin could be pressured into ending the war if oil prices dropped, while urging European nations to stop importing Russian energy.

“Putin would drop out of the war if the price of oil decreased,” the POTUS said. “If the oil prices come down, then Russia will settle.”

The president added that Putin launched the war in February 2022 because “he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States” under then-President Joe Biden.

Trump said last week that he was prepared to pursue sanctions against Moscow, but only if NATO allies ended what he called “shocking” purchases of Russian oil.

On Truth Social, he wrote, “As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia. Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?”