U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed strong disapproval of Russia’s intensified strikes against Ukraine, stating during an April 7 Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is “not happy” about the latest surge in attacks.
“They’re bombing like crazy right now,” Trump said. “That’s not a good situation.” He added that the escalation over the past week has been particularly disturbing, calling the situation “horrible.”
Trump mentioned that the U.S. is currently engaged in discussions with both Russia and Ukraine in pursuit of a peaceful resolution. He noted that the negotiations are making progress, saying, “We’re getting sort of close.” Despite that, he voiced concern about the rising violence, reiterating his discomfort with the scale of Russia’s bombardment.
His remarks followed reports of recent deadly strikes, including a missile attack on April 4 in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which killed 20 people, among them nine children. On April 6, a Russian missile strike on Kyiv left one person dead and three injured.
Although Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day full ceasefire beginning March 11, Russia declined the proposal unless Ukraine restricted its military and halted foreign aid. The two sides, during U.S.-mediated talks in Jeddah on the same day, agreed only to a partial ceasefire, focused on energy infrastructure and the Black Sea.
Despite the limited agreement, Ukraine has accused Russia of violating the ceasefire shortly after by striking energy sites in Kherson. Russia denied the allegation and accused Ukraine of targeting a gas facility in Russia’s Kursk region—claims that Kyiv rejected as fabrications aimed at justifying continued aggression.
While Trump has condemned the violence, his administration has not implemented new penalties against Russia. In recent comments, he clarified that Russia had not been subjected to the latest U.S. tariff measures under the “Liberation Day” trade policy because the U.S. is “not doing business, essentially, with Russia, because they’re at war.” Under the policy, steep tariffs were imposed on a number of major trade partners, including a 54% tariff on China, 20% on the European Union, and 10% on Ukraine. Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Cuba were notably excluded.
Reports from NBC News and The Telegraph suggest growing frustration within the Trump administration over Russia’s stance. Trump is said to be angered by President Vladimir Putin’s hostility toward Zelensky and the Kremlin’s continued refusal to de-escalate the war. Nevertheless, the U.S. has not taken any direct actions against Russia in response to the renewed offensive.
Despite presenting himself as a mediator, Trump’s strategy has so far focused on negotiation over enforcement, leaving open questions about whether the U.S. will eventually shift toward more aggressive measures should the violence continue.
Source: novinite.com
