Washington DC: US President Donald Trump described the personal hostility between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “unfathomable”, as his much-touted plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war continues to stall nine months into his presidency.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, September 15, Trump admitted that the conflict has proven more difficult to resolve than anticipated, despite previous promises to end it soon.
“I stopped seven wars, I thought this was going to be an easy one for me, but this has turned out to be a tough one,” Trump said.
The Republican leader said the depth of hatred between the two presidents is blocking peace efforts. “The hatred between Zelensky and Putin is unfathomable… they hate each other so much, they can't breathe. They hate each other so much, they almost can't talk. They're incapable of talking to each other,” Trump said.
This marks a notable shift in tone from Trump, who, during his 2023 and 2024 campaign trail, repeatedly insisted he could bring the war to an end within 24 hours of taking office. However, despite his return to the White House, there has been no breakthrough in negotiations or de-escalation of violence on the ground.
Trump also referred to the latest battlefield toll, noting that 8,000 soldiers had died in a single week. “Some more from Russia, but when you're the aggressor, you lose more,” he said.
Harder Line On Russia
While Trump’s administration initially refused to directly condemn Russia for the invasion and rejected a United Nations resolution supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity in February, recent comments suggest a possible policy shift.
On Sunday, the president warned that Washington might take a tougher stance if Moscow continues to block peace talks. He said sanctions against Russia were being considered but stressed that such measures would only be implemented if all NATO allies agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and enforce parallel sanctions of their own.
