Donald Trump said he has been “let down” by Vladimir Putin amid stalled peace efforts following weeks of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
The US president suggested he had initially thought the war, which he previously claimed he could end within one day of entering the White House, would have been “the easiest” conflict to settle.
But a peace deal appears to be no closer despite months of Washington-led talks, and Mr Trump’s ultimatums and deadlines for the Russian leader to engage with proposals have passed without obvious consequences.
Asked during his state visit to the UK on Thursday whether negotiations had run out of road, the US president said people were “being killed and I feel I have an obligation to get it settled for that reason.”
During a press conference at the Prime Minister’s grace-and-favour estate, Chequers, Mr Trump said: “I’m very honoured to tell you that we’ve solved seven wars, seven wars, wars that were unsolvable, wars that couldn’t be negotiated or done, the US has done seven of them.
“The one that I thought would be easiest would be because of my relationship with President Putin, but he’s let me down.
“He’s really let me down. Was going to be Russia and Ukraine, but we’ll see how that turns out. I thought it might be among the easiest of the group.”
He did not specify which other conflicts he was referencing.
We are now conducting one of our counter-offensive operations at the Donetsk direction – in the Pokrovsk and Dobropillia areas.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 18, 2025
Russian losses just since the start of this counter-offensive – in the Pokrovsk area alone, in these past weeks – are already more than 2,500, of which… pic.twitter.com/C1ijyOgKc1
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Moscow launched thousands of drones and powerful glide bombs, as well as hundreds of missiles at targets inside the country just over the past fortnight.
In response, Ukraine has developed its own long-range drones that have hit deep into Russia, damaging installations vital for Russia’s war effort.
Recent strikes have included oil refineries, depots and terminals.
Before arriving in Britain, Mr Trump told reporters in Washington that “Zelensky is going to have to make a deal” to end the war, although he did not elaborate on what he meant.
