Ukraine, Trump warns Putin: ‘If he makes the wrong choice, we will respond’

The US president is ready to take new action if Moscow does not meet American expectations. Putin: offensive will continue if no agreement is reached

Donald Trump has issued a new warning to Vladimir Putin, warning that the United States is ready to react if the Kremlin’s decisions on the war in Ukraine are not in line with American expectations. ‘I have no message for Putin, he knows where I stand. If we are happy, fine, otherwise you will see things happen,’ the president said from the Oval Office, announcing that he will speak with the Russian leader ‘very soon’ to attempt mediation. Trump said he was optimistic: ‘I believe we will find a good solution to the war. They must stop killing all these souls.’

The Kremlin’s line

Putin, for his part, reiterated his intention to continue military operations if a peace agreement is not reached. During a parade in Beijing, alongside Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un, he praised the progress of Russian troops, speaking of advances “on all fronts” and a significant weakening of the Ukrainian army. ‘We will see how the situation develops. Otherwise, we will have to resolve our tasks militarily,’ he said.

Moscow’s position

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed that any peace must include the recognition of the annexed Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea – as an integral part of Russia. For Kiev, these are ‘old ultimatums’: Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga accused Moscow of not wanting to negotiate and called for new sanctions.

Kiev calls for direct meeting

Ukraine continues to push for a direct summit between Putin and Zelensky, which it believes is the only way to break the deadlock in negotiations. Putin said he had accepted Trump’s proposal for a meeting in Moscow, inviting Zelensky, but Kiev rejected the offer as “cynical”. Sybiga pointed out that at least seven countries had offered to mediate, accusing Putin of “mocking the international community”.

War without respite

Meanwhile, the bombing continues. The Ukrainian Air Force reported the launch of over 500 Russian drones and missiles in a few hours. In Kostiantynivka, in the Donetsk region, artillery fire and drones caused nine deaths, as confirmed by Governor Vadym Filashkin.

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