By Kate Nicholson

Copyright huffingtonpost

Donald Trump just claimed Vladimir Putin “let me down” over the Ukraine war peace process.

The US president has been trying to secure an end to the conflict – started by Russia – for months now, but to no avail.

He even upended years of united western support for Ukraine and rolled out the red carpet for Putin in Alaska, inviting him for a rare face-to-face conference, and dropped the US call for a ceasefire.

But Putin refused to compromise and is sticking to his plan for full Ukrainian capitulation.

Now, finally, it seems Trump has given up on his efforts to woo Putin to the negotiation table.

Speaking at joint press conference with Keir Starmer from the UK, Trump said: “He let me down. He’s really let me down. We will see how that turns out.”

It follows Starmer saying Putin has now shown his “true face” over the conflict after “mounting the biggest attack since the invasion began” in recent days.

Earlier today, the CEO of the conservative media outlet Newsmax and close friend of Trump, Chris Ruddy, told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme that the president has finally realised a friendship with the authoritarian is the right way forward.

“He sees this is an economic battle,” Ruddy said. “He wants sanctions, he wants Nato countries to stop buying Russian oil.

“He sees this as an economic war, as a business man, and I think his approach was Putin is a bad guy – although he won’t say it publicly.

“I believe he thinks Putin is a dangerous person.”

Ruddy said Trump tried to manage a friendship with Putin, but it failed to result in any step towards peace.

He said: “He tried that and I think he really, honestly, thought it was going to work.

“He’s coming to the conclusion that it’s not going to work, and that he needs to do other means.”