President Donald Trump said he remains willing to engage with Vladimir Putin despite “disappointment” in the Russian leader, declaring in a BBC interview that his administration will keep tightening the screws unless Moscow agrees to halt its war on Ukraine.
“I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him,” Trump told the broadcaster in an overnight phone call. “I trust almost no one.”
The remarks followed Trump’s Monday announcement of a stepped-up Russia policy: a fresh tranche of long-range missiles and advanced weapons for Kyiv, plus a 50-day ultimatum for the Kremlin to accept a cease-fire or face “very severe” secondary tariffs.
Trump said he had believed four separate times that a peace deal with Moscow was within reach, only for fresh strikes to derail negotiations. “I’ll think we’re close, and then he’ll knock down a building in Kyiv,” he said.
Asked whether he still views NATO as “obsolete,” Trump replied, “No. I think NATO is now becoming the opposite of that,” crediting allies for “paying their own bills.” He added that collective defence remains vital for smaller nations confronting larger threats.
The president stressed that Washington is “working” to end the conflict, but gave no details on the timetable for new U.S. arms deliveries.