Trump voices disappointment with Putin, grows impatient

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump appears to be losing patience with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, voicing disappointment on Monday just hours after threatening "severe tariffs" against Russia.

"I'm disappointed in him, but I'm not done with him. But I'm disappointed in him," Trump told BBC in an interview.

A few hours earlier, during a meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump warned, "We're going to be doing very severe tariffs" if a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified later that Trump actually meant "economic sanctions" when he threatened "secondary tariffs" against Russia, The Washington Times reported.

Trump also told Rutte that the United States would supply weapons to Ukraine through NATO, including Patriot missile systems, with deliveries starting soon.

In a post on X following a phone call with Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for Trump's "willingness to support Ukraine" and hailed their strong relationship.

This is not the first time Trump has expressed disappointment with Putin over the Ukraine crisis, despite claiming he has a good relationship with the Russian leader. In early July, after a phone conversation with Putin, Trump told reporters, "I didn't make any progress with him today at all," adding, "I'm not happy about that."

Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours, has held several conversations with Putin since taking office. However, his efforts to pressure the Russian leader have yet to yield a ceasefire.