President Donald Trump on Thursday offered rare criticism of Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian leader to 바카라STOP!바카라 after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine바카라s capital.
바카라I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying.바카라 Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. 바카라Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!바카라
Russia struck Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. At least 12 people were killed and 90 were injured in the deadliest assault on the city since last July.
Trump바카라s frustration is growing as a U.S.-led effort to get a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia has not made progress.
The comments about Putin came after Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday and accused him of prolonging the 바카라killing field바카라 by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied Crimean Peninsula as part of a possible deal. Russia illegally annexed that area in 2014.
With his assertion that Putin demonstrated 바카라very bad timing바카라 with the massive attack, Trump appeared to suggest that the Russian leader was doing himself no favors toward achieving the Kremlin바카라s demand that any peace agreement include Russia keeping control of Crimea as well as Ukrainian territory in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions it has seized since invading in February 2022.
Later Thursday during an Oval Office meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump said that Crimea was taken from Ukraine without a fight. He also noted that annexation of the Black Sea peninsula happened under President Barack Obama바카라s watch.
Asked what Putin is doing now to help forge a peace deal, Trump responded, 바카라stopping taking the whole country, pretty big concession.바카라
But the notion is one that Ukraine and much of Europe have fiercely pushed back against, arguing that Russia pausing a land grab is hardly a concession.
Zelenskyy has repeated many times that recognizing occupied territory as Russia바카라s is a red line for Ukraine. He noted Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days ago as a first step to a negotiated peace, but that Moscow바카라s attacks had continued.
Trump바카라s criticism of Putin is notable because Trump has repeatedly said Russia is more willing than Ukraine to get a deal done.
바카라I didn바카라t like last night,바카라 Trump said of Russia바카라s massive attack on Kyiv. 바카라I wasn바카라t happy with it.바카라
In his dealings with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump has focused on which leader has leverage. Putin has 바카라the cards바카라 and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly. At the same time, the new Republican administration has taken steps toward a more cooperative line with Putin, for whom Trump has long shown admiration.
Trump in his meeting with Norway바카라s Gahr Støre discussed the war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs and other issues.
Norway, a member of NATO and strong supporter of Ukraine, shares a roughly 123-mile (198-kilometer) border with Russia.
Gahr Støre said 바카라both parties have to know that they have to deliver.바카라 He also suggested that Trump is pushing the two sides to come to an agreement.
바카라To move towards an end of this war, U.S engagement is critical, and President Trump made that possible,바카라 he said. 바카라That is clear바카라
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said Putin should 바카라stop lying바카라 when he claims to want 바카라peace바카라 while continuing to bomb Ukraine.
바카라There is only one answer we are waiting for: Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?바카라 said Macron during a visit to Madagascar. Macron added that 바카라the Americans바카라 anger should focus on just one person: President Putin.바카라
The French Foreign Ministry also offered measured pushback on Trump바카라s criticism of Zelenskyy over the Ukrainian바카라s stance on Crimea.
During talks last week in Paris, U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter. The proposal was discussed again Wednesday during talks with U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials.
바카라The principle of Ukraine바카라s territorial integrity is not something that can be negotiated,바카라 Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. 바카라This was the position taken last week and reiterated yesterday in London in a meeting of a similar format.바카라
Asked whether France agreed with Trump바카라s comments that Ukraine바카라s position was to blame for prolonging the war, Lemoine said Ukrainians showed they are open to negotiations while Russia continues its strikes.
바카라We rather have the impression that it is the Russians who are slowing down the discussions,바카라 he said.
The White House announced Tuesday that Trump바카라s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would visit Moscow this week for a new round of talks with Putin about the war. It would be their fourth meeting since Trump took office in January.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met on Thursday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who also held talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump바카라s national security adviser, Michael Waltz.
Leaders from the 32-member alliance are set to meet in the Netherlands in two months. Trump has pushed them to significantly step up defense spending.
In 2023, as Russia바카라s invasion of Ukraine entered its second year, they agreed that all allies should spend at least 2% of gross domestic product on their military budgets. Estimates in NATO바카라s annual report released Thursday showed that 22 allies had reached that goal last year, compared with a previous forecast of 23.
바카라But clearly with 2%, we cannot defend NATO territory,바카라 Rutte told reporters at the White House following the meeting. 바카라It has to be considerably higher.바카라
