WASHINGTON (AP) — In an interview with NBC News from his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Donald Trump expressed unusual criticism of Vladimir Putin for questioning the credibility of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader.
In a 10-minute phone conversation with Kristen Welker from the program “Meet the Press,” the President of the United States said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with his Russian counterpart after, according to the Agence France Presse, Putin called for a transitional government in Ukraine and commented that Zelensky lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace agreement.
Furthermore, Trump threatened that “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia."
Trump’s change of strategy towards Putin?
The Republican rarely criticizes Putin, and, on the contrary, he himself has attacked Zelensky’s credibility on other occasions. For example, Trump has falsely insinuated that Ukraine provoked the war that began with a Russian invasion three years ago, and has insisted that Zelensky should hold elections despite the fact that the Ukrainian Constitution states it is illegal to do so during a state of martial law.
To that is added the embarrassing meeting with Zelensky at the White House, at the end of February, where both Trump and his president JD Vance criticized the Ukrainian president in front of the cameras.
However, on Sunday afternoon, during the flight back to Washington from his Florida mansion, Trump lowered the animosity against Putin in conversation with the journalists present on Air Force One: “I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word...I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve always gotten along well”.
When asked when he wanted Russia to agree to a ceasefire, Trump said there was a “psychological deadline.” “If I think they’re tapping us along, I will not be happy about it,” he stressed.
Trump resumes attacks against Zelensky
And at the same time that he softened the tone against Putin, Trump again attacked Zelensky, accusing him of “trying to back out from the rare earth deal”, referring to the negotiations over the United States’ access to critical minerals in Ukraine. “And if he does that he’s got some problems. Big, big problems.”
The American leader hinted that Ukraine wanted “to renegotiate the agreement” to obtain better security guarantees. “He wants to be a member of NATO...Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.”
Preventing Ukraine from joining NATO is one of Vladimir Putin’s main demands.
The United States has been pushing for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the war after three years.
Russia rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and complete 30-day halt in fighting, and the feasibility of a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea was called into question after Kremlin negotiators imposed far-reaching conditions.
Although Trump insisted to reporters that we’re making a lot of progress,” he acknowledged that “there’s tremendous hatred” between Putin and Zelensky, a new indication that the negotiations might not lead to a quick end to the war, as the current President of the United States promised during his campaign.