Donald Trump expressed displeasure with Vladimir Putin following fresh Russian attacks on Ukraine, marking a shift in tone after their Alaska summit just one week ago. The president issued a new ultimatum on Friday, setting a two-week deadline for determining whether peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will proceed.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he would find out "which way it's going to go" within the next fortnight. "And, I better be very happy," he warned, threatening "massive sanctions" or "massive tariffs" if the planned meeting fails to materialise.
World Cup diplomacy
Putin wants to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup games in the United States, Trump revealed while displaying a photo the Russian president had sent him. "This is a man named Vladimir Putin," Trump said, showing the picture to reporters in the Oval Office.
The president described Putin as someone "that wants to be there very badly" and has "been very respectful of me and our country but not so respectful of others". Trump said Putin "may or may not be coming" to the games scheduled across venues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Ukraine factory strike
Trump criticised a recent Russian strike on an American factory in Ukraine, telling reporters: "I told him I'm not happy about it. I'm not happy about anything having to do with that war." The president repeated his claim that the conflict would have "never happened" if he had been in office.
According to Express, Trump cited figures showing 7,000 people are dying per week in the Ukraine conflict. The president blamed "stupid people that fought" for causing the war, insisting "Vladimir knew very strongly that we wouldn't have stood for it."
Strategic calculations
Putin launched one of his largest bombardments of missile and drone strikes this week in Kyiv and Lviv, despite the diplomatic fanfare surrounding last week's Alaska summit. The Independent reports that Putin's strategy involves playing for time to maximise territorial gains before any potential ceasefire.
The Russian economy now has 40% of its GDP devoted to the war machine, according to Independent analysis, creating potential vulnerabilities. Trump is considering withdrawing from trilateral peace talks and prefers a bilateral meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During Monday's meeting with Trump, Zelensky wore a suit for the first time since the war started, The i reports. American venues including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and New Jersey are expected to host the 2026 World Cup games.
Sources used: "Daily Mail", "Express", "Independent", "The i" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
