Kathrine Frich
For years, Donald Trump has spoken of his personal rapport with Vladimir Putin, often portraying it as a diplomatic asset.
But recent remarks suggest that patience in the White House may be wearing thin.
Speaking publicly, the US president struck a markedly different tone as questions mounted over Russia’s stance on ending the war in Ukraine.
White House remarks
Donald Trump expressed disappointment with the Russian leader while answering questions at a White House meeting with oil and gas executives on January 9.
The session was focused on future US energy involvement in Venezuela, but quickly widened to foreign policy issues, including Ukraine and Russia.
Asked whether he would ever consider trying to capture Vladimir Putin, following the recent US operation in Venezuela that saw Nicolás Maduro and his wife taken into custody, Trump dismissed the idea but criticised Moscow’s approach.
“Well, I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I think we are going to have… I have always had a great relationship with him, I am very disappointed,” Trump said.
Peace frustrations
Trump suggested his frustration stemmed from what he described as a lack of genuine interest from the Kremlin in reaching a fair peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The US president repeated his claim that he has “settled eight wars” since returning to the White House in January, adding that achieving peace in Ukraine should be “one of the easier” challenges, given his past relationship with Putin.
A shifting tone
Trump has often highlighted what he called a “warm relationship” with the Russian president, including during high-profile meetings such as their summit in Alaska last August.
In the past, he also blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former US president Joe Biden for the conflict.
However, this is not the first time Trump has voiced public dissatisfaction.
In September, during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he said Putin had “let me down.”
“He’s killing many people, and he’s losing more people than he’s killing. The Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers,” Trump said at the time.
Sources: Daily Express.
