By Alex Raufoglu

Copyright kyivpost

WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump, returning to the White House on Thursday from a state visit to the UK, offered a blunt assessment of his stalled efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.

Trump, who has long expressed confidence that his personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin would lead to a swift resolution, conceded he now feels “let down” by the Russian leader.

His comments follow a series of US-led peace negotiations, including a much-publicized summit with Putin in Alaska last month, which have failed to produce a ceasefire.

“It’s been a month? It doesn’t feel like it. But at the right time I’m going to have to do it, it will be harsh,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One when asked about the possibility of a ceasefire.

War is “different thing”

The US president’s frustration continued during a later interview with Fox News, where he acknowledged the conflict had been more difficult to resolve than he had anticipated.

“War is a different thing,” Trump said. “Things happen that are very opposite of what you thought… it turns out to be the reverse,” he added.

Despite the stalled progress, Trump said he remains committed to finding a solution, adding: “After the war is settled, we would help secure the peace. And I think ultimately that’ll happen.”

Tactic of European nations

Trump’s frustration with the conflict extended to what he sees as a lack of support from European allies. The US president once again took aim at European nations, suggesting their purchase of Russian oil was undermining efforts to pressure Moscow.

Speaking to reporters, he revealed that British Prime Minister Starmer had raised the issue of Ukraine during their talks.

“He was really a little bit embarrassed that I caught Europe… buying oil from Russia,” Trump said of Starmer. “We’re supposed to do all this stuff and they’re buying oil from Russia. That’s not good. Do you agree?”

When asked if Starmer would impose sanctions, the US president replied, “He said he would do sanctions, yes. And he’s not one of the culprits in terms of the [Russian oil].”

Trump also told Fox News that he believes a key to ending the conflict is for Europe to stop buying Russian oil, stating, “Ultimately, if oil prices go down, or if Russia is not selling oil, they have no choice but to settle.”

Experts weigh in on Trump’s stance

The president’s remarks, however, quickly drew skepticism from foreign policy experts.

Michael Carpenter, who served as Senior Director for Europe in Joe Biden’s White House National Security Council, dismissed Trump’s stated frustration with Putin, telling the Kyiv Post: “Actions matter, words alone are meaningless.”

Paul Saunders, president of the Center for the National Interest, a Washington think tank, also suggested that Trump’s public frustration with Putin may be a calculated position.

Speaking to Kyiv Post, he argued that the president appears to believe that “applying further pressure to Russia will either make a deal more difficult… or that it will frustrate US-Russia negotiations on other matters.”

Saunders concluded, “Regardless, Moscow appears quite confident and thus unwilling to make a deal. The war will likely continue until something significant changes.”

Personal highlight of the trip

Shifting away from foreign policy and the conflict in Ukraine, Trump was also asked about the personal highlights of his UK state trip.

He noted that meeting King Charles was a particular highlight. “I don’t know, I think just being with King Charles. He’s a wonderful guy. I got to know him very well,” he said.

Trump also praised the “beautiful” artwork and the way the UK treated his country with respect. “I saw more paintings than any human being has ever saw and statues. But they treated us great. They treated our country great. I view that as being really respect for our country the way they did it.”