U.S. President Donald Trump questioned Russia’s intention to end the war in Ukraine, warning that additional sanctions against Moscow could be imposed. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Moscow’s willingness to resume peace talks with Ukraine without any preconditions, according to a statement by the Kremlin.
In an extensive post on Truth Social, Trump criticized a New York Times journalist and discussed the Russia-Ukraine war. He described as a “ridiculous demand” the idea that Kyiv should reclaim Crimea or other territories seized by Russia.
“Peter Baker, the very biased and untalented columnist for the Times, followed his editor’s orders and wrote that Ukraine must reclaim territories, including, I suppose, Crimea, and other ridiculous demands, in order to stop the killings — killings worse than anything since World War II,” Trump specifically stated.
Trump also criticized Vladimir Putin for recent attacks on civilian areas, arguing that such actions do not reflect a genuine desire to end the conflict. He warned that Russia could face new sanctions if aggressive actions continue.
Shortly afterward, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that during a meeting with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, Putin reiterated Russia’s readiness to engage in peace negotiations “without any preconditions.”
“During yesterday’s conversation with Trump’s envoy, Witkoff, Vladimir Putin reiterated that the Russian side is ready to continue the negotiation process with Ukraine without any conditions,” said Peskov.
On Friday, the fourth meeting this year between the Russian president and Trump’s special envoy took place. Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov described the three-hour conversation as “constructive and quite useful.”
