Relationship With Putin 'Meant Nothing': Trump On Failure To End Ukraine War

Trump addressed his inability to resolve the Ukraine conflict, stating his relationship with Putin "proved inconsequential"

During discussions about the ongoing Ukraine war, US President Donald Trump expressed that he had anticipated it would be relatively simple to resolve due to his personal connection with Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, he admitted that "that relationship proved inconsequential" in achieving peace.

While speaking privately with French President Emmanuel Macron at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Trump acknowledged Macron's assistance with "several conflicts." Reiterating his claim about resolving seven wars, Trump mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains his "greatest disappointment," though he believes resolution will eventually occur.

"I anticipated this would be the least challenging situation because of my relationship with Putin. Unfortunately, that relationship proved inconsequential," Trump remarked with evident frustration.

#WATCH | New York | US President Donald Trump says, "Emmanuel has actually helped me with a couple of the wars. We settled seven wars. The biggest disappointment, but I think that'll happen eventually, is the Ukraine and Russia situation. I thought that would be the easiest one… pic.twitter.com/AE8UkN22cA

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2025

In his UNGA address, Trump stated, "They claimed these conflicts were unsolvable, some continuing for 31 years, another for 36 years. I successfully ended 7 wars where countless thousands were perishing," adding that no previous president or international leader has "accomplished anything remotely comparable."

He subsequently criticized the United Nations, claiming it "made no attempt to assist" in resolving these conflicts. "It's failing to fulfill its potential... offering merely empty rhetoric, and empty rhetoric doesn't end wars," Trump declared.

Trump's comments follow approximately one month after the Alaska Summit, where he met Putin for critical peace discussions regarding Ukraine. Despite both leaders expressing optimism, the meeting yielded no concrete results.

Following the summit, an agreement was reached for Russia and Ukraine to conduct bilateral discussions, potentially followed by a trilateral meeting including Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, these meetings have not yet materialized.

Trump's position on Ukraine has fluctuated significantly—from telling Zelensky he lacks leverage in negotiations with Russia to asserting that Ukraine can reclaim all territories seized by Russia since the invasion began.

This remarkable reversal occurred shortly after Trump called for NATO countries to intercept any Russian aircraft violating their airspace.

"I believe Ukraine, with European Union support, is positioned to fight and RECLAIM all of Ukraine to its original borders," Trump declared on his Truth Social platform following discussions with Zelensky.