Trump Tells Russia and Ukraine: “Put Up or Shut Up”
So, President Trump’s been weighing in on the Russia-Ukraine peace talks again and let’s just say, he’s getting a little impatient. After his envoy, Steve Witkoff, sat down with Putin for a whopping four-hour meeting, Trump told reporters the talks are “going fine” but warned it’s about time someone makes a move.
“There’s a point where you just gotta put up or shut up,” Trump said while flying on Air Force One. Classic Trump.
Now, here’s where it gets messy. Witkoff apparently floated the idea of letting Russia keep control of four regions in eastern Ukraine basically repeating Russian talking points. This sparked a lot of backlash, especially from U.S. Republicans and European allies, who are still firmly backing Ukraine.
Trump also hinted at hitting countries buying Russian oil with extra sanctions if things keep dragging. He’s even thinking about targeting Russia’s banks and energy industries if a deal isn’t made by the end of April.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, is loving Trump’s attitude. At a forum in Türkiye, Lavrov praised Trump for calling it a mistake to ever push Ukraine toward NATO one of Putin’s favorite excuses for invading.
On the ground though, it’s still brutal. Despite a supposed pause on attacking power stations, both sides are accusing each other of breaking the deal. Tragically, on Palm Sunday, a Russian missile strike hit the city of Sumy, killing 32 people and injuring over 80.
So yeah peace talks might be happening, but the violence hasn’t stopped.
