US President Donald Trump said he was "very disappointed" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, just days before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to visit Washington, DPA reports. "I'm very disappointed, because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship. We probably still do," the US leader said at a press conference at the White House after meeting with Argentine President Javier Milagros. Trump said he did not understand "why Putin is continuing this war" and added that the Kremlin's attitude makes him "look very bad".
• "The war was supposed to end in a week"
The US president harshly criticized the continuation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has been going on for over three and a half years. "Putin got involved in a war that was supposed to end in a week, but has been going on for almost four years. He's lost about 1.5 million soldiers," Trump said, quoted by The Moscow Times. He added that the human losses are "the worst since World War II" and the number of wounded is huge: "the number of people without arms, without legs, it's terrible."
• "Russia's economy is on the verge of collapse"
Trump also launched an attack on the Russian economy, which he considers "on the verge of collapse." "In Russia, right now, there are long lines for gas. Can you imagine? Who could have imagined that this would happen?" he said, alluding to the economic difficulties facing the population. According to independent Russian media quoted by DPA, the American leader said that the current economic situation in Russia reflects the failure of the Kremlin's policies and the huge cost of the war against Ukraine.
• "Zelensky wants weapons, wants Tomahawks"
At the same time, Donald Trump confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will pay an official visit to Washington on Friday, emphasizing that the talks will focus on military support for Ukraine. "He wants weapons. He would like to have Tomahawk missiles," Trump said, adding that he did not rule out the possibility of the United States supplying Ukraine with such cruise missiles. Trump had previously stated that he intended to discuss this issue with Russia as well.
• Kremlin warns
The US president's statements provoked immediate reactions in Moscow. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, warned that a possible delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would be perceived as a serious escalation of the conflict. These cruise missiles have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and can technically be equipped with nuclear warheads, DPA notes.
Donald Trump's statements come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow, amid renewed talks on military support for Kiev. Zelensky's visit to the White House is seen as a crucial milestone for bilateral US-Ukraine relations and for future US aid for Ukrainian defense.
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