"He wants to keep killing people," Trump says after Putin call

Trump shared these thoughts with reporters aboard Air Force One before departing for Mar-a-Lago, as reported by Reuters.

Trump reiterated his deep dissatisfaction with his conversation with Putin, which took place on July 3, because no progress was made toward ending the war against Ukraine.

"It’s a very tough situation... I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people - it’s no good," Trump said.

He also noted that the Russian leader is aware of possible future U.S. sanctions against Russia. According to Trump, Putin expressed concern about this but understood that such sanctions could be imposed.

After speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 4, Trump said that Ukraine will need Patriot missiles for its defense.

When asked whether the United States would agree to send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Zelenskyy, Trump responded: "They're going to need them for defense... They're going to need something because they're being hit pretty hard."

Reuters added that the American leader praised the effectiveness of the Patriot missiles, calling the weapon "pretty amazing."

Background

On July 3, U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, during which the U.S. leader raised the issue of ending the war in Ukraine. In response, the Kremlin leader stated that Russia would not abandon the removal of all causes of confrontation.

Trump stated that he "did not make any progress" regarding ending the war in Ukraine during his phone call with Putin.

The following day, on July 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with Donald Trump, which included discussions on air defense and protecting the skies.