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Donald Trump has doubled down connected his disapproval of Vladimir Putin – adding helium volition cognize soon if the Russian person is conscionable "tapping" him along.
The US president told reporters astatine the White House that helium believed his counterpart successful Moscow whitethorn beryllium intentionally delaying ceasefire talks, portion helium besides expressed disappointment astatine dense Russian bombing implicit the weekend.
While Mr Trump has truthful acold stopped abbreviated of imposing sanctions – to avoid, helium says, "screwing up" negotiations – helium warned his stance could change.
The president said: "We're going to find retired whether oregon not he's tapping america on oregon not, and if helium is, we'll respond a small differently," adding that helium "can't archer you" if Mr Putin wanted peace.
Ukraine Q&A: Are we immoderate person to warfare ending?
His comments successful the Oval Office came minutes aft Russia's overseas curate announced that the Kremlin had offered Ukraine a 2nd circular of talks connected 2 June successful Istanbul.
Kyiv did not instantly respond to the proposal, which Sergei Lavrov said would spot Moscow manus their proposals for a imaginable bid woody straight to Ukraine.
"We anticipation that each those who are sincerely, and not conscionable successful words, funny successful the occurrence of the bid process volition enactment holding a caller circular of nonstop Russian-Ukrainian talks successful Istanbul," Mr Lavrov added.
Later connected Wednesday, Ukraine's defence curate Rustem Umerov said his authorities was "not against" further meetings, but called for Russia to present its memorandum to Kyiv beforehand.
The words that suggest Russia's connection for talks are conscionable for show
By being the archetypal to suggest a day and determination for the 2nd circular of nonstop talks, Russia is trying to represent itself arsenic the main operator towards peace.
Its caller barrage of attacks connected Ukraine person drawn harsh words from Donald Trump.
This is an effort to soothe his concerns and to amusement Washington that Moscow is inactive funny successful a deal.
But it feels overmuch much performative than thing else, due to the fact that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's connection makes it wide that Russia's presumption hasn't softened 1 bit.
Referring to a memorandum outlining the contours of a settlement, helium said it details "all aspects of reliably overcoming the basal causes of the crisis".
In Moscow's opinion, the "root causes" of the struggle were NATO enlargement and the persecution of Russian speakers successful eastbound Ukraine.
So, if that's the ground of its memorandum, past the papers volition fundamentally beryllium a database of Moscow's maximalist demands, including imperishable neutrality for Ukraine.
Lavrov besides confirmed that Russia's delegation volition again beryllium led by Kremlin adjutant Vladimir Medinsky, who Kyiv past clip dismissed arsenic being excessively inferior for the talks to execute thing meaningful.
Expectations of a breakthrough astatine circular 2 volition beryllium likewise low.
Meanwhile, Mr Lavrov besides deed retired astatine Germany for agreeing to concern the accumulation of long-range missiles successful Ukraine, accusing Berlin of showing it is "already a subordinate successful the war".
However, German person Friedrich Merz declined to accidental that his state would manus implicit the Taurus missiles that Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy – who was in Berlin connected Wednesday – has agelong wanted.
Ukraine's request for ammunition has go each the much urgent aft Russia launched immoderate of the largest aerial assaults of the warfare truthful acold implicit the weekend.
Read more:
Would 'smart' missiles let Ukraine to deed cardinal bridge?
Lavrov accuses West of secrecy implicit strikes
Russia said it had downed 296 Ukrainian drones implicit 13 regions overnight, portion Ukraine said it had struck respective limb accumulation sites.
Kyiv, successful turn, said Moscow had launched 88 drones and 5 ballistic missiles since Tuesday.
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