US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that he finds working with Russia “easier” than Ukraine over his ongoing efforts to end the war between the two countries.
While briefing the media from the Oval office in White House, Trump said that he trust Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I believe him,” he said.
“I’m finding it more difficult frankly to deal with Ukraine and they don’t have the cards. It may be easier dealing with Russia,” he added.
This came just hours after Trump threatened Russia saying that he is “strongly considering” levying new sanctions and tariffs for its war against Ukraine.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said he was considering the action “based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now.”
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” Trump added in his post.
Earlier, Trump had also paused the military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Days earlier, he and Vice President JD Vance publicly rebuked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of lacking gratitude for US military support.
The US has since voted alongside Russia at the UN, diverging from European allies by not explicitly supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Trump has also faced backlash for a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a potential shift in US-Russia relations and a rollback of sanctions imposed under President Joe Biden.