US President Donald Trump has expressed his dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine War. The US President responded to a host's question on a special television program whether he was running out of patience with Putin. While stating that he has had a long-standing good relationship with Putin, Trump emphasized his frustration with the Russian leader's failure to end the war, saying,"Yes, my patience is wearing thin. And it's wearing thin very quickly."

"THIS IS EUROPE'S PROBLEM MORE THAN US"

The US President also touched on the sanctions imposed on Russia, saying, “We are going to have to take very, very tough action.” Trump stated that sanctions could be imposed on banks and the oil sector, as well as on customs duties, but that European countries would also need to participate. Referring to the 50% additional tariffs imposed on US imports by India, one of Russia’s largest oil buyers, in recent months, the US President said, “I’ve already done that; I’ve done a lot of things. This is not an easy thing. It’s a huge issue, and it’s causing a rift between us and India.” The US President also stated, “I want you to remember that this is Europe’s problem more than it is ours.”

Trump's statement came after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced today that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine had been suspended. When asked by reporters about the talks, Peskov responded,"Communication channels are in place and functioning. Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through these channels. However, it would probably be more accurate to say that there is a pause for now." The Kremlin spokesman also stated that Europe was undermining the peace process, saying,"The Russian side is ready to pursue the path of peaceful dialogue. However, it is also a fact that the Europeans are obstructing this. This is no secret that no one knows."