Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. “You know, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. But he’ll talk so beautifully, and then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that.”
“There’s a little bit of a problem there,” he added.
Putin has increased attacks on Ukraine over the summer, deploying more than 500 drones and missiles almost daily. He has also ignored Trump’s calls for a ceasefire, while Kyiv has agreed to one if Russia stops attacking Ukraine.
NATO’s Rutte is scheduled to meet with Trump as well as with his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday.
The American president, increasingly irritated by Putin’s ongoing barrage of Ukraine, last week told NBC News he might have “a major statement to make on Russia on Monday.” Commentators expect Trump’s announcement will coincide with his Rutte meeting, with Axios reporting the president is expected to announce plans that include providing Ukraine with offensive weapons that can strike deep into Russia.
Germany’s Pistorius is due to hold his own meeting with Hegseth, during which he is expected to revisit his proposal for Berlin to buy two additional Patriot systems for Ukraine.
