Donald Trump has accused Vladimir Putin of damaging Russia’s prospects by refusing to agree to a peace settlement with Ukraine. Speaking to reporters following his inauguration, Trump criticized the Russian leader for prolonging the conflict.

“[Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelenskyy told me he wants to make a deal, I don’t know if Putin does … He might not. I think he should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal,” Trump remarked.

The former president elaborated on the challenges facing Russia as a result of the ongoing war. “I think, Russia is kinda in big trouble. You take a look at their economy, you take a look at their inflation in Russia,” he said.

Russia’s inflation rate currently sits at 9.5%, prompting authorities to increase interest rates to a staggering 21%. This is notably higher than the UK’s rate of 4.75%, making it an extreme measure. Earlier this month, the UK’s Ministry of Defence stated that Russia has even begun devaluing the ruble in an attempt to stabilize its economy.

Reflecting on his personal relationship with the Russian president, Trump added, “I got along with [Putin] great, I would hope he wants to make a deal. He’s grinding it out. Most people thought it would last about one week and now you’re into three years. It is not making him look good.”

Putin had originally intended to capture Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, in the early days of the invasion. However, the city remains under Ukrainian control nearly three years later due to fierce resistance.

When asked about his campaign promise to end the war on his first day in office, Trump humorously responded, “I have another half of the day left.”

The former president also addressed the human toll of the conflict, expressing his dismay over the losses. “We have numbers that almost a million Russian soldiers have been killed. About 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers are killed. Russia’s bigger, they have more soldiers to lose but that’s no way to run a country.”

Trump’s figures have been disputed by Ukraine, which maintains that 43,000 of its soldiers have died, with more than 370,000 injured. Meanwhile, Russia has not released official casualty counts, but UK intelligence estimated earlier this year that Moscow has experienced over 790,000 fatalities and injuries since the invasion began.

Despite Trump’s comments about his friendly rapport with Putin, his latest statements on the conflict contrast sharply with his earlier reaction to the invasion in 2022. At that time, he described the attack as “savvy” and “genius.”

Before Trump’s inauguration, Putin addressed Russia’s security council, signaling openness to discussions. He acknowledged Trump’s stance on avoiding a global conflict, stating, “Moscow welcomes his approach and hear his statements about the need to do everything to prevent World War III.”

However, Putin’s remarks also seemed to sidestep accountability for the crisis. “The most important thing is to remove the root causes of the crisis,” he said, ignoring the fact that Russia initiated the invasion. He continued, “As for the settlement of the situation, I would like to underline that its goal should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament with the aim of subsequently continuing the conflict, but a long-term peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all people, all nations living in this region.”

Although no formal meeting between Trump and Putin has been scheduled yet, the U.S. president has expressed his intention to organize one in the near future.

{Matzav.com}