Senator Jeanne Shaheen criticized President Trump in a fiery CNN interview on Tuesday, accusing him of allowing Vladimir Putin to manipulate him as the Russian leader disregarded yet another peace deadline.
‘President Trump has permitted Vladimir Putin to evade seven deadlines he has set since taking office,’ the Senate Foreign Relations Committee member told host John Berman. ‘He continues to allow Vladimir Putin to take advantage of him.’
This critique comes as the president’s recent 10-12 day deadline lapsed in early August without a ceasefire, despite Trump’s threats of imposing ‘100%’ tariffs on Russian exports for non-compliance.
Trump has since given Putin ‘a couple more weeks’ with still no concrete progress on Ukraine peace talks.
Shaheen made it clear –– Putin has consistently ignored Trump’s diplomatic efforts –– sidestepping U.S. calls for accountability and real peace.
‘The most obvious example was at the Summit in Alaska, where he got virtually nothing from Putin.’
She called it President Trump’s ‘failure to act.’
‘The only thing Vladimir Putin understands is strength and pressure,’ Shaheen insisted, stressing that Trump’s current diplomatic strategy won’t deter the Kremlin’s aggression. She added, ‘We need to equip the Ukrainians with the military gear they require. We must offer the support necessary for them to persist in this conflict.’
In August, Putin visited the United States, where he was warmly received by President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska
Senator Shaheen made it clear – Putin has consistently ignored Trump’s diplomatic initiatives –– eluding U.S. demands for accountability and genuine peace.
The senator’s remarks followed two high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful meetings – initially between Trump and Putin, and subsequently between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Despite the high stakes, neither summit yielded any significant progress toward a ceasefire or meaningful negotiations.
In August, Putin visited the United States, where he was warmly received by President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska.
The media analyzed every move from the two world leaders, with some reports describing progress, and others reporting back continued diplomatic gridlock.
Following their closed–door discussions, Trump addressed the press, describing the talks as ‘highly productive’ and claiming that most issues had been resolved, with only a few outstanding matters remaining.
Less than a week later, Russia launched one of the heaviest attacks in weeks at Ukraine: almost 600 drones and 40 missiles.
And then, silence.
Now, Trump is returning to talks of economic punishment.
A White House official tells the Daily Mail that French President Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting today. On that call, Trump told Europe to stop buying oil from Russia.
A White House official tells the Daily Mail that French President Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting today. On that call, Trump told Europe to stop buying oil from Russia
President Donald Trump came under fire during a live CNN interview with Host John Berman, as Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized his repeated inability to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
‘On that call, President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war, as Russia received €1.1 billion in fuel sales from the EU in one year. The President also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts,’ the official said.
Putin joined China’s leader Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, commemorating eight decades since the end of World War II in the Pacific.
Trump, notably absent from the event, made his upset known on Truth Social.
He wrote on the platform what he wishes for the Chinese President Xi and his people to have a memorable celebration.
‘Kindly extend my best to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un – enjoy plotting against the United States together,’ Trump wrote.
Foreign policy experts say the question remains if symbolic displays like these are indicative of deeper strategic coordination, and if Trump is, in fact, being played.
