US President Donald Trump is becoming incredibly impatient with Russia because he believes it is not doing enough to end the war, US Vice President JD Vance has said.
“He’s responding to the real situation on the ground. And the reality on the ground is that, first of all, we have had extremely good faith negotiations with both the Russians and the Ukrainians. And I think the president is now becoming incredibly impatient with the Russians because he doesn’t feel that they’re doing enough to end the war. Secondly, the president has become very confident that this war is bad for Russia,” he said.
Vance emphasised that the US president wants this war to end.
” The president can also look at the situation on the ground. He sees the economic numbers coming out of Eastern Europe. He sees the death toll, both Russian and Ukrainian, in this war. And the president is saying to Vladimir Putin, “it’s time to stop the killing” — but if the Russians refuse to negotiate in good faith, I think it’s going to be very, very bad for their country. That’s what the president has made clear. This is not a change of position. It’s a recognition of the reality on the ground,” Vance added when asked why there was a change in Trump’s position on the war in Ukraine.
On the eve of the US President Donald Trump expressed the opinion that Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, can return the country’s territory “in its original form”:
“With time, patience and financial support from Europe, particularly NATO, restoring the pre-war borders is a very real option.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly. However, in recent months, the US president has admitted that his calculation for a quick settlement thanks to good relations with Russian President Putin has not materialised.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also commented on Trump’s post the day before, noting in an interview with Fox News that he was “a little surprised” by the US president’s remarks about the possibility of returning all Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, and said it was a positive signal.
The Kremlin called Trump’s thesis that Ukraine could retake the Russian-occupied territories erroneous.
According to the WSJ, in recent days Trump has been talking to officials in his administration who have long insisted on a tougher stance against Russia.
Among them, journalists recall the US president’s special envoy Keith Kellogg and the new ambassador to the UN, Mike Walz, telling Trump that “Russia has made little progress” on the battlefield in recent years.