Trump says Putin has ‘let him down’ on Ukraine but it’s not yet time to press for a ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “really let me down” on efforts to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.

“He has let me down. I mean, he’s killing many people, and he’s losing more people than he’s, you know, than he’s killing,” Trump said on Thursday.

Asked by reporters whether it was time to urge Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump replied that “it doesn’t feel like it.” “But at the right time, if I have to do it, it’ll be harsh,” he added.

Trump again insisted that European countries and NATO allies must stop buying oil from Russia. “Very simply, if the price of oil comes down, Putin is going to drop out [of the war],” he said.

The U.S. president added that he was prepared to consider other measures to punish Putin, but said those steps would depend on whether America’s allies stopped purchasing Russian oil.

“I’m willing to do other things, but not when the people that I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia,” Trump said.