US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was "very disappointed" by Russian leader Vladimir Putin's failure to strike a Ukraine peace deal, but remained vague on any possible consequences for Moscow.
Since meeting Putin in Alaska last month, Trump has pushed the Kremlin chief to hold bilateral talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but instead Russia has stepped up attacks on Kyiv.
"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that," Trump told the Scott Jennings radio show when asked if he felt betrayed by Putin's response. "We had a great relationship; I'm very disappointed."
But Trump did not say what, if any, consequences Russia would face, despite recently setting a two-week deadline to reach a peace deal that is due to expire later this week.
Trump has remained deliberately vague on the Ukraine talks since the Alaska summit, sometimes threatening sanctions against Moscow but at other times saying he may let the two sides fight it out.
He said he would be "doing something to help people live" but did not elaborate.
Asked later in the Oval Office if he had spoken to Putin recently, Trump replied, "I have learned things that will be very interesting; I think in the next few days you'll find out."
He added that "there will be" consequences if Putin and Zelensky fail to meet to end the war started by Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
'Worst Thing'
Trump added, meanwhile, that he was not worried by a potential axis between Russia and China, despite Putin meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday ahead of a huge military parade.
Putin told Xi that their countries' ties were at an "unprecedented level." North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who has sent troops to fight with Russia in Ukraine, was also attending.
"I'm not concerned at all, no," Trump told the Scott Jennings show.
"We have the strongest military in the world by far and they would never use their military on us; believe me, that would be the worst thing they could ever do."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, asked by Fox News about potential sanctions on Russia, said on Monday that the administration would be examining options for a US response this week.
Since their Alaska summit and a lengthy phone call with Trump while Zelensky and European leaders were at the White House, Putin "has done the opposite of following through on what he indicated he wanted to do," Bessent said.
"As a matter of fact, he has, in a despicable, despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign. So I think with President Trump, all options are on the table, and I think we'll be examining those very closely this week."
AFP
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