US President Donald Trump on Friday said he was losing patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin as talks to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine hit a roadblock, saying the United States
is “going to have to come down very, very strong”, suggesting imminent action.
When asked about whether he was losing patience with Putin, Trump told Fox News: “Yeah. It’s sort of running out and running out fast — but it does take two to tango. When Putin wants to do it, (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy didn’t. When Zelenskyy wanted to do it, Putin didn’t.”
“Now Zelensky wants to and Putin is a question mark. We’re going to have to come down very, very strong,” he further said. His remarks came after Russia announced a pause in peace talks with Ukraine due to European interference.
“Has your patience run out with Putin?”@POTUS: “It’s sort of running out and running out fast — but it does take two to tango… When Putin wants to do it, Zelensky didn’t. When Zelensky wanted to do it, Putin didn’t… We’re going to have to come down very, very strong.” pic.twitter.com/IunhwDzjcm
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 12, 2025
Ukraine Peace Talks Paused
Donald Trump has sought to position himself as a peacemaker, hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month and pressing for a settlement, but Moscow has pressed ahead with its offensive and expanded aerial strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, as per AFP, “Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to talk about a pause. You can’t wear rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield immediate results.”
The new standoff came as Russia’s army staged major military drills with its key ally Belarus on NATO’s border, exercises that have spooked the alliance’s eastern flank after the downing of Russian drones in Polish airspace this week.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Moscow with additional sanctions if it does not halt its offensive but has failed to follow through, frustrating Ukraine. Kyiv has repeatedly called for a Putin-Zelenskyy summit to break the deadlock.
Putin has so far ruled out a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy. Three rounds of talks in Istanbul have produced little beyond large-scale prisoner exchanges, with Moscow insisting on sweeping demands- including Ukraine’s full cession of the eastern Donbas region. Kyiv has rejected any territorial concessions, instead calling for the deployment of European peacekeepers – an option Russia has dismissed outright.
(with inputs from AFP)
