Trump says Putin 'let him down' on Ukraine peace efforts; UK PM accuses Russian leader of showing 'true face'
US President Donald Trump has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “let him down” by failing to move towards peace in the Ukraine war, even as he expressed confidence that he would ultimately resolve the conflict.
At a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers on Wednesday, Trump admitted that despite earlier expectations, the Russia-Ukraine conflict had not been easy to solve.
"I thought the Russia-Ukraine war was the easiest to stop but Putin has let me down. I thought it may be easiest. We are working for a solution for Israel and Gaza, we are working to solve so many conflicts, we will get Israel-Gaza done, likewise, Russia and Ukraine will also be done, but you never know in war," Trump said.
The comments come after a recent summit in Alaska where Trump urged Putin to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but no peace agreement materialised.
“Frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers. But, yeah, he's let me down," he added.
My press conference with @POTUS – watch live. https://t.co/lQSJaQkjT9
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 18, 2025
Before taking office, Trump had repeatedly claimed he could end the war in a day. He also argued that Putin only launched the invasion in 2022 because “he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States” at the time.
"If I were president, it would have never happened, and it didn't happen for four years. People, most people, agree. It didn't happen, nor was it close to happening," Trump said.
Starmer, for his part, strongly condemned the Russian president, saying recent escalations showed Putin’s “true face.”
"In recent days, Putin has shown his true face mounting the biggest attack since the invasion began, with yet more bloodshed, yet more innocents killed, and unprecedented violations of NATO airspace," Starmer said.
"These are not the actions of someone who wants peace. We have discussed today how we can build our defences to further support Ukraine and decisively increase the pressure on Putin to agree to a lasting peace deal," he added.
Alongside their statements on Ukraine, the two leaders announced a sweeping bilateral agreement on technology investment covering artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy.
Officials said the deal, described by Starmer as “groundbreaking,” would create thousands of jobs and bring in billions in investment, marking the largest package in British history.
The press conference marked the final day of Trump’s state visit to Britain.
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