Senator Jeanne Shaheen tore into President Trump during a heated CNN interview Tuesday, accusing him of letting Vladimir Putin ‘play him’ as the Russian leader ignored yet another peace deadline.
‘President Trump has now allowed Vladimir Putin to blow through seven deadlines he has set since he came into office,’ the Senate Foreign Relations Committee member told host John Berman. ‘He is continuing to let Vladimir Putin play him.’
The criticism comes as Trump’s shortened 10-12 day deadline expired in early August with no ceasefire in sight, despite the president’s threats of ‘100%’ tariffs on Russian exports for non-compliance.
Trump has since given Putin ‘a couple more weeks’ with still no concrete progress on Ukraine peace talks.
Shaheen made it clear –– Putin has consistently ignored Trump’s diplomatic efforts –– sidestepping U.S. calls for accountability and real peace.
‘The most obvious example was at the Summit in Alaska, where he got virtually nothing from Putin.’
She called it President Trump’s ‘failure to act.’
‘The only thing Vladimir Putin understands is strength and pressure,’ Shaheen said, emphasizing that Trump’s current diplomatic approach won’t sway the Kremlin’s aggression. Adding, ‘We need to fund the Ukrainians in terms of the military hardware they need. We need to provide the support to help them keep going in this fight.’
In August, Putin visited the United States, where he was warmly received by President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska
Senator Shaheen made it clear –– Putin has consistently ignored Trump’s diplomatic efforts –– sidestepping U.S. calls for accountability and real peace
The senator’s comments come after two high–profile yet ultimately fruitless meetings – first between Trump and Putin, then between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Despite the high stakes, neither summit yielded any significant progress toward a ceasefire or meaningful negotiations.
In August, Putin visited the United States, where he was warmly received by President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska.
The media analyzed every move from the two world leaders, with some reports describing progress, and others reporting back continued diplomatic gridlock.
Following their closed–door discussions, Trump addressed the press, describing the talks as ‘highly productive’ and claiming that most issues had been resolved, with only a few outstanding matters remaining.
Less than a week later, Russia launched one of the heaviest attacks in weeks at Ukraine: almost 600 drones and 40 missiles.
And then, silence.
Now, Trump is returning to talks of economic punishment.
A White House official tells the Daily Mail that French President Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting today. On that call, Trump told Europe to stop buying oil from Russia.
A White House official tells the Daily Mail that French President Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting today. On that call, Trump told Europe to stop buying oil from Russia
President Donald Trump came under fire during a live CNN interview with Host John Berman, as Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized his repeated inability to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
‘On that call, President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war, as Russia received €1.1 billion in fuel sales from the EU in one year. The President also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts,’ the official said.
Putin joined China’s leader Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, commemorating eight decades since the end of World War II in the Pacific.
Trump, notably absent from the event, made his upset known on Truth Social.
He wrote on the platform what he wishes for the Chinese President Xi and his people to have a memorable celebration.
‘Kindly extend my best to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un – enjoy plotting against the United States together,’ Trump wrote.
Foreign policy experts say the question remains if symbolic displays like these are indicative of deeper strategic coordination, and if Trump is, in fact, being played.