by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the world will soon learn whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, suggesting that a breakthrough or major shift could occur in the next two weeks.
“We’re gonna find out whether or not he’s tapping us along or not,” Trump told reporters following the Oval Office swearing-in of interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. “But it’ll take about a week and a half, two weeks.”
Trump praised the work of special envoy Steve Witkoff, who he said has been negotiating directly with the Kremlin. “He’s doing a phenomenal job, is dealing with [Putin] very strongly right now,” Trump said, adding that while the Russians “seem to want to do something,” any assumptions are premature. “Until the document is signed, I can’t tell you. Nobody can.”
Trump expressed frustration over recent Russian drone strikes that killed civilians in Ukraine amid ongoing backchannel talks. “I’m very disappointed at what happened a couple of nights now,” he said. “People were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation. I’m very disappointed by that.”
Asked why he hasn’t imposed additional sanctions on Moscow, Trump replied that he didn’t want to jeopardize potential progress. “Only the fact that if I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up by doing that,” he said.
On Tuesday, Trump issued a stark warning to Putin via Truth Social, saying the Russian leader was “playing with fire.” He implied that his leadership had prevented a far worse outcome for Russia. “If it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump wrote.
The remarks prompted a fiery exchange between top U.S. and Russian officials. Trump envoy Gen. Keith Kellogg (ret.) chastised former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for dismissing Trump’s concerns and making comments interpreted as escalating tensions.
“Stoking fears of WWIII is an unfortunate, reckless comment… and unfitting of a world power,” Kellogg wrote on X.
Despite the tense rhetoric, Trump maintained that diplomatic channels remain open. “We’ll know soon,” he said, referring to the Kremlin’s true intentions. “And we’ll respond accordingly.”
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