US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, saying he is “killing people for no reason” and insisting that Ukraine still has a chance to reclaim its territory.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump voiced disappointment over Russia’s war effort and condemned Moscow’s tactics.
“I’m very dissatisfied with what Russia is doing and what President Putin is doing,” Trump said. “I haven’t liked it at all. He’s killing people for no reason whatsoever.”
“They’re doing very poorly considering they have put it all on the line. Their economy is going to hell. They’re bombing the hell out of everything and picking up very little territory,” he added. “I think it’s very bad for the reputation of Russia.”
After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said Kyiv “is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form” with European support.
His comments mark a sharp shift from his previous rhetoric. Previously Trump had suggested Ukraine might have to make territorial concessions to end the war, now in its fourth year. Kyiv and European officials welcomed what they saw as his tougher stance.
