Trump says he's disappointed in Putin but 'not done with him'
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said he was disappointed with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, but did not refuse to engage with him. He also threatened Russia with new tariffs, reports the BBC.
After meeting with the NATO Secretary General at the White House, Trump had a 20-minute conversation with the BBC, in which he spoke in detail about the war in Ukraine.
According to Trump, he believed four times that a peace deal with Russia was realistic, but each time, events changed for the worse. Putin, in his opinion, did not live up to expectations.
Although the US president admits that he is disappointed, he emphasized that he is "not done with him."
He also explained that he does not trust anyone completely, including Putin.
"We'll have a great conversation. I'll say: 'That's good, I'll think we're close to getting it done,' and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv," he said.
Trump has given a clear signal: if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire within the next 50 days, the United States is preparing new tough trade tariffs.
He did not rule out that some diplomatic communication with Moscow is still ongoing.
About NATO and foreign policy
Although Trump has criticized NATO in the past as an organization that has lost its relevance, he now recognizes that the Alliance has changed significantly.
The reason, he said, is that member states have begun to finance defense commitments on their own.
The president also reaffirmed the US commitment to the principle of collective defense, as it protects smaller states from more aggressive ones.
He also mentioned his upcoming state visit to Britain in September, saying that he plans to "have a good time" and pay his respects to King Charles.
Trump changes tone on Putin
In recent weeks, Donald Trump has begun to take a tougher stance against Russia and Vladimir Putin. This is happening amid increasingly large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities and new civilian casualties.
On July 8, Trump publicly stated that Putin was playing around with him and noted that he was seriously considering Senator Lindsey Graham's initiative to impose 500% tariffs on imports from countries that buy Russian oil or petrochemicals.
The US president also hinted that he was preparing a surprise for Putin, without disclosing details.
Read more about the changes in Trump's attitude toward Putin and Russia in the RBC-Ukraine article.
