WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump on Thursday offered , urging the Russian leader to 鈥淪TOP!鈥� after a deadly barrage of attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.
鈥淚 am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying.鈥� Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. 鈥淟ets get the Peace Deal DONE!鈥�
Russia struck Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones. At least 12 people were killed and 90 were injured in the since last July.
Trump鈥檚 frustration is growing as a U.S.-led effort to get a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia has not made progress.
Trump at Ukrainian President on Wednesday and accused him of prolonging the 鈥渒illing field鈥� by refusing to surrender the Russia-occupied as part of a possible deal. Russia illegally annexed that area in 2014.
With his assertion that Putin demonstrated 鈥渧ery bad timing" with the massive attack, Trump appeared to suggest that the Russian leader was doing himself no favors toward achieving the Kremlin's demand that any peace agreement include Russia keeping control of Crimea as well as Ukrainian territory in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions it has seized since invading in February 2022.
Later Thursday during an Oval Office meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St酶re, Trump said that Crimea was taken from Ukraine without a fight. He also noted that annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula happened under President Barack Obama's watch.
Asked what Putin is doing now to help forge a peace deal, Trump responded, 鈥渟topping taking the whole country, pretty big concession.鈥�
But the notion is one that Ukraine and much of Europe have fiercely pushed back against, arguing that Russia pausing a land grab is hardly a concession.
Zelenskyy has repeated many times that recognizing occupied territory as Russia's is a red line for Ukraine. He noted Thursday that Ukraine had agreed to a U.S. ceasefire proposal 44 days ago as a first step to a negotiated peace, but that Moscow's attacks had continued.
Trump鈥檚 criticism of Putin is notable because Trump has repeatedly said Russia is more willing than Ukraine to get a deal done.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like last night,鈥� Trump said of Russia鈥檚 massive attack on Kyiv, which led to him criticizing Putin. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 happy with it.鈥�
In his dealings with and , has focused on which leader has leverage. Putin has 鈥渢he cards鈥� and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly. At the same time, the new Republican administration has taken steps toward a more cooperative line with Putin, for whom Trump has long shown admiration.
Trump in his meeting with Norway's Gahr St酶re was to discuss the war in Ukraine, U.S. tariffs and other issues.
Norway, a member of NATO and strong supporter of Ukraine, shares a roughly 123-mile (198-kilometer) border with Russia.
Gahr St酶re said in a social media post Thursday that he would underscore during the talks that 鈥渃lose contact between Norway and the USA is crucial.鈥�
鈥淲e must contribute to a lasting and just peace in Ukraine,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said Putin should 鈥渟top lying鈥� when he claims to want 鈥減eace鈥� while continuing to bomb Ukraine.
鈥淭here is only one answer we are waiting for: Does President Putin agree to an unconditional ceasefire?鈥� said Macron during a visit to Madagascar. Macron added that 鈥渢he Americans鈥� anger should focus on just one person: President Putin.鈥�
The French Foreign Ministry also offered measured pushback on Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy over the Ukrainian's stance on Crimea.
During , U.S. officials presented a proposal that included allowing Russia to keep control of occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a deal, according to a European official familiar with the matter. The proposal was discussed again Wednesday during talks with U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials.
鈥淭he principle of Ukraine鈥檚 territorial integrity is not something that can be negotiated,鈥� Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. 鈥淭his was the position taken last week and reiterated yesterday in London in a meeting of a similar format.鈥�
Asked whether France agreed with Trump鈥檚 comments that Ukraine鈥檚 position was to blame for prolonging the war, Lemoine said Ukrainians showed they are open to negotiations while Russia continues its strikes.
鈥淲e rather have the impression that it is the Russians who are slowing down the discussions,鈥� he said.
The White House announced Tuesday that Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would visit Moscow this week for a new round of talks with Putin about the war. It would be their fourth meeting since Trump took office in January.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met on Thursday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who also planned talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's national security adviser, Michael Waltz.
Leaders from the 32-member alliance are set to meet in the Netherlands in two months. Trump has pushed them to significantly step up defense spending.
In 2023, as Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine entered its second year, they agreed that all allies should spend at least 2% of gross domestic product on their military budgets. Estimates in showed that 22 allies had reached that goal last year, compared with a of 23.
鈥淚n 2025, we need to significantly increase our efforts to ensure NATO remains a key source of military advantage for all our nations. Our continued freedom and prosperity depend on it,鈥� Rutte wrote.
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Petrequin reported from Paris. Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
Aamer Madhani And Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press
