US President Donald Trump has criticized Vladimir Putin over the latest deadly air strikes on Ukraine, signaling frustration with Moscow even as the White House steps up pressure on Kyiv to acknowledge a de facto change in its borders.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Trump’s comments came after Russia’s deadliest and largest bombardment of the Ukrainian capital in months, which killed at least 12 people and injured more than 90 others.
Russia launched the strikes as Trump was criticizing Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for holding up his peace plan.
Trump’s airing of frustration with Putin — who he has been markedly less ready to blame for the war than Zelenskyy — indicates his struggle to get Russia’s leader to agree to his proposals and deliver on the promise of bringing the years-long Russia-Ukraine war to a swift end.
However, Trump later at the White House said Russia had made a “pretty big concession” in “stopping taking the whole country”. Asked whether Ukraine would have to give up more territory to reach a peace agreement, he added “it depends what territory”.
Zelenskyy while in South Africa said Ukraine was making a big concession by expressing his willingness to negotiate with Putin once a full ceasefire was agreed.
The US’s apparent willingness to make major concessions to Russia has alarmed Kyiv and its European allies such as Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte, who later on Thursday will urge the Trump administration not to force Ukraine to accept a peace deal against its will.
Rutte would use meetings with Trump’s close aides to argue an unjust peace settlement that appeased Russia would increase Moscow’s threat to Europe, said three officials briefed on the preparations.
Rutte’s long-planned visit to Washington, primarily focused on preparations for the Nato leaders’ summit in June, comes a day after Trump admonished Zelenskyy for refusing to make concessions and agree with a proposal for the US to recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea.
Rutte would use meetings with Trump’s defence secretary Pete Hegseth, secretary of state Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz to stress European security would also be at risk if a pro-Putin settlement was forced on Kyiv, the people said.
“The key message is making the Americans understand what’s at stake,” said one Nato diplomat. Rutte would also discuss how to best co-ordinate shifting more of the burden of Nato’s defense of Europe from the US to European militaries, the people said.
In addition, other western leaders are stepping up efforts to influence Trump’s hardline position. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen would “seize” any chance to speak with Trump at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, her spokesperson said on Thursday.
European countries fear Trump’s insistence on recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea will put them at odds with the White House as it moves closer towards Moscow.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, on Thursday said Trump’s stance on the peninsula, which Russia invaded and forcibly annexed from Ukraine in 2014, “completely matches the Russian position”.
Russia has offered to give up some of Putin’s remaining claims to Ukrainian territory that is not under its control, but has shown no inclination to agree to any peace deal unless its core demands are met.
“President Putin supports achieving peace while ensuring the interests of our country. This is a compulsory condition,” Peskov said, according to state newswire Tass.
Peskov also ruled out accepting a European peacekeeping presence in Ukraine, which forms part of the plan the US presented to Ukraine and its allies in Paris last week.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, is expected to meet Putin in Moscow this week for the fourth time this year.
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Zelenskyy as Ukraine resists agreeing to Putin’s demands, which would essentially force it to cease being a functional independent state.
“He can have Peace, or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump said of Zelenskyy in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. “We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” he added, describing the situation for Ukraine as “dire”.
Later on Wednesday Trump again aired his frustration with Zelenskyy, saying in the Oval Office that he “thought it might be easier to deal” with him than with Putin but “so far, it’s been harder”.
Zelenskyy said he would cut his trip to South Africa short and return to Kyiv immediately following the overnight bombardment.
He said Russia had launched nearly 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and about 150 attack drones at his country. “Unfortunately, there is significant destruction,” he said.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed it had targeted Ukrainian aircraft, missile, machinery and tank factories, as well as sites producing fuel and gunpowder.
Additional reporting by Alice Hancock in Brussels and Myles McCormick in Washington
