Washington (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin about a nuclear-powered cruise missile test was not “appropriate.”
How did Putin describe the burevestnik missile’s capabilities?How does Trump view his relationship with Putin now?
“He ought to get the war (in Ukraine) ended. A war that should have taken one week is now soon in its fourth year. That’s what he ought to do instead of testing missiles,”
Trump briefed reporters aboard Air Force One, AFP reported.
Trump had vowed to swiftly resolve the Ukraine conflict once he returned to the White House in January, but negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv have stagnated despite the US president’s efforts to mediate.
How did Putin describe the burevestnik missile’s capabilities?
Russia has successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, which Moscow claims can penetrate any defence shield. President Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday that the country will proceed with deploying the weapon.
He claimed that the 9M730 Burevestnik is regarded as “invincible” to current and future missile defences, with nearly unlimited range and an unpredictable flight path.
On Sunday, Putin mentioned that Russian experts once believed the weapon would likely never be feasible. However, he now stated that its “crucial testing” has been completed. He also advised his trusted wartime commander that Russia must learn how to classify the weapon and develop infrastructure for its deployment of the Burevestnik.
How does Trump view his relationship with Putin now?
On Saturday, Trump also announced that he will not spend time meeting Putin again unless there is a likely deal on the Ukraine war.
“I’m going to have to know that we’re going to make a deal,”
Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One after departing from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, when he was asked about arranging a meeting with Putin.
“I’m not going to be wasting my time. I’ve always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing.”
He mentioned he believed the Ukraine conflict would have been settled “long before” the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“In fact, Putin told me on the phone,
he said,
‘Boy, that was amazing,’ because everybody tried to get that done, and they couldn’t. I got it done. You had others. If you look at India and Pakistan, I could say almost any one of the deals that I’ve already done, I thought would have been more difficult than Russia, than Ukraine, but it didn’t work out that way,”
he added.
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