Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday voiced disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing the war in Ukraine, calling it the “biggest conflict since World War II.” “Look, I’m very disappointed because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship — probably still do. I don’t know why he continues with this war. This war has been so bad for him,” Trump told reporters during a bilateral meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House. “He’s going into four years of a war he should have won in one week. He’s lost 1.5 million soldiers, or close to it — all the things that happen in horrible wars. It’s the biggest thing that has happened since World War II in terms of death,” he added. Trump’s comments came ahead of his scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday. The two leaders are expected to discuss ongoing US support for Kyiv.Trump had previously hosted Putin for talks on Ukraine at a military facility in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. That meeting marked the first in-person encounter between the two leaders during Trump’s second term, which began in January. His administration has been seeking to broker an end to the conflict or at least a temporary ceasefire, with Trump appointing a special envoy (Steve Witkoff) for the effort.Also Read | ‘Momentum from Trump-Putin meeting gone’: Russia on Alaska summit; blames ‘Europeans’ Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, when Moscow launched what it called a “special military operation.”
