President Donald Trump has dismissed the notion proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States could apprehend Russian President Vladimir Putin. This suggestion from Zelenskyy came in light of Washington’s recent decisive actions involving Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Trump expressed skepticism about such an operation, simultaneously voicing his exasperation with the ongoing conflict and his inability, thus far, to negotiate an end to it. Throughout his campaign, Trump has repeatedly asserted that he could bring the war to a close on his first day back in office. Despite having engaged in discussions with both Zelenskyy and Putin, a resolution has yet to be achieved.
During a meeting at the White House on Friday with U.S. oil company executives, Trump responded to a query from Fox News’ Peter Doocy by stating, “Well, I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.”
Reflecting on his past interactions with Putin, Trump remarked, “I’ve always had a great relationship with him. I’m very disappointed.” He went on to highlight his record of resolving conflicts, saying, “I settled eight wars. I thought this would be in the middle of the pack or maybe one of the easier ones.”
Trump also noted the ongoing toll of the conflict, particularly on Russian troops, and claimed that Russia’s economy is feeling the strain as a result.
Trump said the conflict continues to take a heavy toll, particularly on Russian forces, and claimed Moscow’s economy is suffering.
“And in the last month, they lost 31,000 people, many of them Russian soldiers,” Trump said, adding that the Russian economy is “doing poorly.”
“I think we’re going to end up getting it settled,” Trump said. “I wish we could have done it quicker because a lot of people are dying.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin as Russia continues its war against Ukraine and tensions remain high with NATO. (Ramil Sitdikov/Pool/Reuters )
“But largely it’s the soldier population,” he continued. “When you have 30,000, 31,000 soldiers dying in a period of a month, 27,000 the month before, 26,000 the month before that. That’s bad stuff.”
Trump also criticized the Biden administration for sending what he said was $350 billion to Ukraine, arguing the U.S. should be able to recoup costs through a rare earth minerals agreement tied to continued support. He also claimed the U.S. is not losing money in the conflict, saying Washington is benefiting through arms sales to NATO allies, pointing to NATO’s pledge to raise defense and security spending toward 5% of GDP by 2035, up from the longstanding 2% benchmark.
“We’re not losing any money. We’re making a lot of money,” Trump said.
Apartment buildings hit by a Russian missile strike Jan. 9, 2026, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the city of in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine. (Stringer/Reuters)
Zelenskyy made his comments after Russia said it fired its new nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile as part of a massive overnight attack on Ukraine, a claim Kyiv disputed. Ukrainian officials said the barrage involved hundreds of drones and multiple missiles and struck energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, killing at least four people.
Zelenskyy called on the United States and the international community to respond, saying Russia must face consequences for attacks targeting ordinary civilians.
