Donald Trump: Zelensky and Putin Share Unfathomable Hostility
Light House Denver – On Sept. 14, U.S. President Donald Trump said that direct talks between Zelensky and Putin are highly unlikely. He explained the obstacle lies in their deep personal animosity.
“The hatred between Zelensky and Putin is unfathomable,” Trump told reporters. “I think I’m going to have to do all the talking… they hate each other so much, they almost can’t talk.”
Trump added that while he initially believed negotiations could be arranged easily, he now sees himself as the only possible mediator, since the two leaders “are incapable of talking to each other.”
His remarks came after his Aug. 15 summit with Putin in Alaska, where Trump promised to pave the way for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. Those plans collapsed almost immediately when Putin invited Zelensky to Moscow, a proposal Kyiv dismissed outright. Soon after, Putin declared that an agreement over occupied territories was “impossible,” while Zelensky reiterated that he would never travel to Russia for negotiations.
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To pressure Moscow into meaningful talks, Trump linked potential new sanctions to stronger European action, blasting the EU for continuing to buy Russian oil and gas.
“We can’t be expected to be the only ones that are full bore,” he said, urging Europe to harden restrictions. “I don’t want them (Europe) to buy (Russian) oil. I’m willing to do sanctions, but they’re going to have to toughen up theirs.”
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright echoed this stance on Sept. 8, telling the Financial Times that Europe must end Russian fossil fuel imports if it expects Washington to escalate sanctions.
Despite strong rhetoric, the Trump administration has so far imposed only limited penalties on Moscow and has even rolled back some earlier restrictions. In August, Washington targeted India, one of Russia’s biggest oil buyers, with tariffs tied to Russian crude purchases. Indian officials, however, maintained their imports would continue regardless of U.S. pressure.
Meanwhile, European lawmakers are debating proposals to accelerate a complete ban on Russian fossil fuel imports. In Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sept. 14 that Congress is ready to pursue tougher sanctions.
“I think there’s a big appetite for that in Congress… and I’m anxious to do it, personally,” Johnson said, underscoring growing bipartisan momentum for stronger measures.
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This information is sourced from kyivindependent. On Sept. 14, U.S. President Donald Trump said that direct talks between Zelensky and Putin are highly unlikely. Read the full article on LightHouseDenver.
|Author: Lukman Azhari
|Editor: Anna Hidayat