Trump casts serious doubt on Zelensky-Putin talks with big admission

Washington DC - President Donald Trump said Friday he would make an "important" decision in two weeks on Ukraine peace efforts – specifying that Moscow could face massive sanctions or he might do nothing.

Donald Trump (c.) has cast doubt on whether Vladimir Putin (l.) and Volodymyr Zelensky will ever meet for peace talks.
Donald Trump (c.) has cast doubt on whether Vladimir Putin (l.) and Volodymyr Zelensky will ever meet for peace talks.  © Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he was "not happy" about a Russian strike Thursday that hit a US-owned factory in Ukraine "and I'm not happy about anything having to do with that war."

But he said he wanted to see whether Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky would meet first.

Trump speaks out on John Bolton FBI raid: "He's sort of a lowlife"
Donald Trump Trump speaks out on John Bolton FBI raid: "He's sort of a lowlife"
Trump sends three warships near Venezuela coast
Donald Trump Trump sends three warships near Venezuela coast

"I think I'll know. I think I'll know the attitude of Russia, and, frankly, of Ukraine. It takes two," Trump said when asked what he would do at the end of a two-week timeframe he set for assessing the state of peace talks.

"Then I'm going to make a decision as to what we do, and it's going to be a very important decision," he said.

"That's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both. Or do we do nothing and say it's your fight."

Trump – who showed off a picture of him and Putin at their recent Alaska summit, that he said had been sent by the Kremlin leader – has repeatedly announced timescales of around two weeks for decisions on Ukraine and other issues. Many of those deadlines have failed to materialize.

Russia on Friday ruled out an immediate meeting with Zelensky, despite Trump saying on Monday after meeting with the Ukrainian and European leaders that he was arranging a summit.

Trump compares Zelensky and Putin to "oil and vinegar"

Trump said Friday that setting up a Zelensky-Putin summit was as hard as mixing "oil and vinegar."

"We're going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. You know, it's like oil and vinegar, a little bit. They don't get along too well, for obvious reasons," he told reporters.

Trump added "we'll see" if he would need to attend any such meeting.

Cover photo: Collage: SPUTNIK / AFP & ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP & Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP

More on Donald Trump: