Mike Glenn & Mallory Wilson April 25, 2025
(The Washington Times) — President Trump’s frustrations with Vladimir Putin boiled over Thursday with a rare swipe at the Russian president after Russia launched a deadly overnight barrage on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
“Vladimir, STOP!” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing.
“5000 soldiers a week are dying.” Mr. Trump added in the post. “Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Russia launched missiles and drones on Kyiv overnight, marking the deadliest attack on the city since last summer, leaving at least 12 dead and 90 injured.
Mr. Trump said ahead of his bilateral lunch with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that “I have my own deadline and we want it to be fast” when it comes to ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Things will happen” if a deal isn’t made between Russia and Ukraine, Mr. Trump said during the bilateral Oval Office meeting.
Pressed by reporters to cite any concessions Mr. Putin has made in the quest to resolve the war, Mr. Trump said that not taking all of Ukraine was a “pretty big concession.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “This war is endable, both sides just have to agree to it … We’ve shown them a pathway forward, we’ve discussed those ideas. It was a good meeting yesterday, there will be good meetings over the weekend.”
“We’ve shown them the finish line. We need both of them to say yes,” he said, adding that the strike on Ukraine shows this war needs to end.
Mr. Trump said there’s “a lot of pressure on both.”
Mr. Store said, “The important thing is that both parties have to know that they have to deliver and they have to feel the pressure to deliver.”
He said, “I salute the team of President Trump for being open in that process” and said the meeting between the two world leaders was good.
The criticism of Mr. Putin comes a day after Mr. Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being disagreeable about peace talks.
Mr. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his country “will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea.”
Crimea has been occupied by Russia since 2014. Mr. Trump said the Ukrainian president’s comments are “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama and is not even a point of discussion.”
“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he said Wednesday. “The area also houses, for many years before ’the Obama handover,’ major Russian submarine bases. It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War.”
The president said Mr. Zelenskyy has “nothing to boast about” and called the war situation in Ukraine “dire.”
“He can have Peace or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever,” he said.
He said Mr. Zelenskyy’s comment will continue the “killing field.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Mr. Putin demonstrates through his actions that he doesn’t respect any serious peace proposal and is interested only in continuing the war. Russia still occupies 20% of Ukraine after gaining more than 1,500 square miles of territory in 2024.
“Weakness and concessions will not stop his terror and aggression. Only strength and pressure will,” Mr. Sybiha said.
Ukraine accused Moscow of firing at least 70 missiles and 145 drones, with most targeting Kyiv. Defense officials said they’re counting on a “strong response” from other nations.
European leaders condemned Russia’s actions and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, accused Russia of launching the airstrikes against Kyiv even as it claims to seek a peaceful resolution.
“This isn’t a pursuit of peace; it’s a mockery of it,” she said Thursday on X. “The real obstacle is not Ukraine but Russia, whose war aims have not changed.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, in Washington for meetings with Trump administration officials, called in his annual report for the 32 nations in the group to devote more funds, equipment and political energy to the world’s biggest military alliance, as the United States steps back from its leading security role in Europe.
“In 2025, we need to significantly increase our efforts to ensure NATO remains a key source of military advantage for all our nations. Our continued freedom and prosperity depend on it,” Mr. Rutte wrote.
NATO has been in disarray since February, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that America’s security priorities lie elsewhere -– in Asia and on its own borders -– and that Europe would have to look after its own security and that of Ukraine, in the future.
Mr. Rutte’s report was posted on NATO’s website without any obvious publicity. In previous years, secretaries-general have promoted their annual reports with news conferences and press releases. NATO did not respond when asked why the approach has changed.
Mr. Hegseth met on Thursday with Mr. Rutte, who also planned talks with Mr. Rubio and Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump envoy Steve Witkoff plans to travel to Moscow this week to discuss the stalled ceasefire talks with Mr. Putin.
