Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy teamed up to call out Vladimir Putin just hours after the White House announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to pause their attacks in the Black Sea.
In a rare shift from his usual stance, Trump suggested that while Putin might want to end the war, he’s stalling on a ceasefire deal. “I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they’re dragging their feet,” Trump told Newsmax.
Despite this, Trump insisted that both Putin and Zelenskyy want peace, adding that he, too, wants the war to stop but not at the cost of more U.S. aid to Ukraine. “I just want to see it stop. I also don’t want to pay,” he said.
The ceasefire announcement was a big deal, with both sides agreeing to stop attacks in the Black Sea and start negotiating a broader peace plan to protect energy infrastructure. However, the Kremlin made it clear that the agreement would only take effect if Western sanctions on Russia were lifted. Moscow also denied handing over control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy wasn’t buying it. He accused Russia of twisting the ceasefire terms to mislead mediators and the world. In a video address, he warned that Russia is already trying to manipulate the agreement. “Moscow always lies,” he said, urging Western countries to impose more sanctions if Russia doesn’t follow through.
For now, it looks like the ceasefire is on shaky ground, with both sides watching closely to see who will make the next move.
Ceasefire Games: Trump Accuses Putin of Delays, Ukraine Exposes Russian ‘Manipulation
