WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said he decided to cancel his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “not appropriate” to meet at this time.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said, “Today is a big day. We’ve imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, which is a clear signal of what we plan to do next.”
Trump stated that the Russia-Ukraine war began during President Biden’s tenure, and he is now working to end it. “I hope the sanctions will compel President Putin to act reasonably,” Trump said. “Whenever I’ve spoken with Putin, the conversations have been good but have not led to any concrete results.”
Addressing recent reports, Trump clarified that claims about the U.S. allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia are false. “Ukraine is using European, not American, missiles in its defense. Thousands are dying every week in the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.
Trump also mentioned that during his upcoming visits to China and Korea, a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has been scheduled. “I hope these sanctions make Putin think carefully,” Trump added, calling former President Joe Biden “the worst president in American history.”
He further criticized government spending on illegal immigrants and stressed that the U.S. cannot afford a government shutdown. Trump also said, “India has assured us it will not buy oil from Russia. We are the world’s largest economy, and a shutdown should never happen.”
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the purpose of new sanctions is to pressure President Putin into considering a ceasefire. “At the moment, Russia is not at the negotiation table with Ukraine,” Rutte noted.
