US President Donald Trump admitted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “let him down” during efforts to end the Ukraine war. Trump made the comments at a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers.
Trump said he once believed the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be the “easiest” to solve but admitted it has proved far more complicated. “I thought the Russia-Ukraine war was the easiest to stop but Putin has let me down. Still, we will resolve it,” he said. Trump claimed Russian forces are suffering heavier losses than Ukrainians and repeated his earlier stance that the war would never have started if he had been president in 2022.
He pointed to his summit with Putin in Alaska, where he urged direct talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, peace negotiations failed to move forward. Trump also linked Putin’s aggression to what he called weak US leadership before his return to office.
Starmer strongly criticized Putin, accusing him of showing his “true face” with Russia’s largest assault since the invasion began. He vowed to strengthen support for Ukraine and press Moscow toward lasting peace.
During the visit, Trump and Starmer also announced a “groundbreaking” tech investment deal in AI, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Officials said the agreement would create thousands of jobs and bring billions in investment to Britain.
