DONALD Trump is “disappointed” in Vladimir Putin and has ruled out meeting the tyrant until he stops “wasting time.”
The US president says there will be no in-person summit for some time unless the Russian despot can show he is serious about peace in Ukraine.
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Speaking on Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said: “We’re going to have to know that we’re going to get a deal.
“I’m not going to waste my time.
“I have always had a great relationship with [Putin]but this has been very disappointing.”
The Republican strongman added that he is surprised there is still no resolution despite months of attempts to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.
Trump has been a key player in resolving several conflicts around the world since returning to the Oval Office in January.
He has been praised for helping broker peace in long-running wars in Europe, Africa, Asia and, most notably, the Middle East in Gaza.
Trump explained: “I thought [theHamas-Israel ceasefiredeal] It would have been more difficult than Russia and Ukraine, but it wasn’t.
“There is a lot of hatred between the two, between Zelensky and Putin. There is tremendous hatred.”
Just two days earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a summit between Trump and Putin “is not completely ruled out.”
He said Trump hasn’t seen “enough interest and enough action” from Russia to hold talks yet.
“The president and the entire administration hope that one day that can happen again,” Leavitt said.
“But we want to make sure that there is a tangible, positive outcome of that meeting, and that it is a good use of the president’s time.”