President Trump said he was “not happy” about the Russia-Ukraine war after Moscow hit Kyiv with its largest drone attack since the war began, underscoring his administration’s failure so far to reach a peace deal even after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.
“I’m not happy, I’m not happy about the whole situation,” Trump told reporters after landing at Joint Base Andrews following his trip to see the U.S. Open men’s tennis final in New York.
Trump insisted that no one had been tougher than he on Russian and Putin, and he defended his efforts to end the war, saying those efforts would continue
“I’m not thrilled with what’s happening,” Trump continued. “I believe we’re going to get it settled. I’m not happy with anything having to do with that war.”
Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Sunday was also notable because Moscow hit a Ukrainian government building for the first time since the war began.
The attack did not suggest any signs of a slowdown by Putin and Moscow, even after Trump has increasingly shown his frustration.
Trump in his remarks on Sunday, however, was careful not to single out Russia or Putin for criticism.
When a reporter asked Trump what he thought the biggest obstacle was to getting a peace deal, Trump did not mention the Russian leader or Moscow.
“Well we’re going to see. We have some very interesting discussions,” he said, noting that European leaders would be coming to Washington this week.
Trump in recent weeks has expressed growing exasperation with Putin. He repeated Sunday that he thought the Russia-Ukraine war would have been the easiest conflict to resolve upon his return to office. It has turned out to be among the most intractable.
The president was also asked about the conflict in Gaza, and he offered optimism that a solution would be found to that war as well.
“I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon. It’s a problem we want to solve for the Middle East, for Israel, for everyone,” Trump said.
On another issue, Trump said his administration would decide in a day or two where its crime crackdown might be headed next.
“We’re going to make a decision about where we’re going to go in the next day or two,” Trump said while decrying crime in Chicago and insisting that Washington, D.C., was now a safe zone because of his actions.
Finally, Trump complimented the fans at the U.S. Open. Trump was met with a mix of boos and cheers at the event and indicated he was not sure how he’d be received because of the liberal tilt of New York City.
He called the fans at the stadium “great fans.”
