President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he used to think the war in Ukraine would be the “easiest” conflict to settle because he got along well with Vladimir Putin. However, he also said that Putin “really let him down” during a speech with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers.
The comments marked some of Trump’s bluntest public frustration with Moscow since taking office this year. Trump told reporters that he thought things would get better because of his past meetings with Putin, but he also said that the Kremlin’s choices had destroyed his hopes. He also noted that Russia was losing a lot of soldiers on the battlefield and that he still hoped for “good news” on the way to finishing the war.
The exchange happened at the end of a state visit that was both royal and political, with disagreements over policy.
My press conference with @POTUS – watch live. https://t.co/lQSJaQkjT9
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 18, 2025
Starmer took the opportunity to call for further pressure on Moscow, making it clear that the UK would remain pushing for harsher economic measures while working closely with Washington.
The prime minister’s office said that the meeting had a united front on Ukraine, even though there were disagreements about the pace and type of further action.
The joint press conference was the last event of a day of diplomacy that included statements about technology and investment and a reaffirmation of the partnership between the US and Europe. U.S. and U.K. news sites and the White House live feed showed video of the event.
Why it matters: Trump’s statements show that people are more critical of Putin, but they don’t suggest what else Washington will do. Starmer, on the other hand, highlighted the need to keep putting pressure on Russia, which is likely to change U.K. policy as fall approaches.
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