Trump Accuses Putin of Letting Him Down During UK State Visit

President Donald Trump has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of letting him down, making sharp criticisms during a joint press conference with UK Labour leader Keir Starmer.

Speaking on Thursday, Trump said he had hoped to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine shortly after taking office, but claimed Putin’s actions had made that impossible.

The remarks came during a one-hour press conference, which marked the conclusion of Trump’s two-day state visit to the UK—a trip during which the president largely avoided several sensitive issues.

While Trump refrained from criticizing Starmer over Palestinian statehood or Britain’s free speech policies, he caused a stir by suggesting that the prime minister could deploy the military to manage irregular migration.

Trump’s comments about Putin, however, were welcomed by British officials, who had hoped the unprecedented second state visit would further isolate the Russian leader on the global stage.

“Putin has let me down,” Trump said. “He’s killing many people, and he’s losing more than he’s killing. Russian soldiers are dying at a higher rate than Ukrainian soldiers.”

At the end of his visit, Trump lavishly praised the UK, the royal family, and Starmer.

“We are grateful beyond words for the spectacular honor of the state visit at Windsor Castle, hosted by His Majesty King Charles and Her Majesty Queen Camilla,” he said, shortly after watching the Red Devils parachute team land on the Chequers lawn.

“They are two fantastic people,” he added, describing the UK as “these beautiful, magnificent isles.”

During the wide-ranging press conference, Trump also gave his opinions on various topics:

• Wind power: “A very expensive joke”

• The firing of TV host Jimmy Kimmel: “Not a talented person”

• Former President Joe Biden: “Never the brightest bulb in the ceiling”

When asked about Peter Mandelson, Trump claimed he did not know him, despite meeting him multiple times.

He openly disagreed with Starmer’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood but described it as “one of our few disagreements.”

Regarding small boat arrivals in the UK, Trump said: “I told the prime minister I would stop it. Call in the military or use any means, it destroys countries from within.”

Downing Street aides were relieved when Trump entirely avoided questions on free speech, following the recent arrests of Lucy Connolly and Graham Linehan over social media posts.

Starmer’s key achievement during a 90-minute bilateral meeting appeared to be redirecting Trump’s attention to Putin over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

While Trump had previously blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joe Biden for the conflict, he has recently identified Russia as the aggressor, focusing his remarks entirely on Putin on Thursday.

“I spoke to President Putin about Ukraine, it was the apple of his eye,” Trump said. “But he would never have done what he did if he had respected the leadership of the United States.”

However, Trump did not support Starmer’s direct calls for further sanctions on Russia.

The Prime Minister noted, “It’s only when the president has applied pressure on Putin that he has shown any inclination to move.”

In response, Trump highlighted European and Indian imports of Russian oil, saying, “If the price of oil comes down, Putin will drop out. He’ll have no choice. He will exit that war.”