In statements to the media on Thursday, Trump directed unusually harsh criticism at Putin for the ongoing war in Ukraine:
I am very dissatisfied with what Russia is doing and what President Putin is doing, said Trump to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House.
I have not liked it at all. He kills people completely without reason.
"Bombing everything"
The US tone has become more critical since Trump's attempts to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine have been unsuccessful. The Kremlin has rejected demands for a ceasefire and continued with its air strikes on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine has responded with, among other things, drone attacks on Russian oil refineries.
They are doing very poorly considering they have bet everything. Their economy is going to pot. They bomb everything but take very little territory, I think it's very bad for Russia's reputation, said Trump.
Tensions are growing
Earlier in the week, Trump had a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj during the UN General Assembly. Trump then said that Ukraine "has the opportunity to fight and take back its entire original territory" – with European support. He repeated it when he was later asked if Ukraine can take back the territory occupied by Russia:
Yes, they have a chance.
Some welcome his change of tone, others see it as a sign of decreased US engagement and shift of responsibility to Europe. The shift occurs at the same time as NATO-Russia tensions are increasing, with Russian intrusions into the airspace over Estonia and Poland and Trump's call for NATO to shoot down Russian intruders.
