Trump’s goodwill tested as Putin ignores peace efforts during Witkoff's visit

President Donald Trump’s patience is being tested by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a barrage of airstrikes connected the Ukrainian superior metropolis of Kyiv, sidesplitting 12 radical and injuring astir 100 much this week, 1 time up of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s 4th sojourn to Moscow.

Trump told reporters Friday helium believes it is "possible" and adjacent "very probable" his medication volition negociate a bid woody betwixt Russia and Ukraine. 

"I think, successful the end, we're going to extremity up with a batch of bully deals, including tariff deals and commercialized deals. We're going to marque our state rich," Trump said up of his departure for Rome. "We're going to effort and get retired of warfare truthful that we tin prevention 5,000 radical a week. That's what my purpose is."

Steve Witkoff meets with Vladimir Putin successful St. Petersburg (Reuters )

TRUMP'S 'STOP' MESSAGE TO PUTIN ECHOES BIDEN'S 'DON'T' FROM 2022

Trump repeated that helium has nary deadline for a deal, lone that 1 indispensable beryllium ironed retired "as accelerated arsenic possible."

He made his comments 1 week aft the U.S. threatened to wantonness talks if Russia and Ukraine didn’t soon scope a woody and 1 time aft Trump issued a nonstop connection to Putin connected societal media to "stop" bombing Ukraine. 

"I americium not blessed with the Russian strikes connected KYIV. Not necessary, and precise atrocious timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the bid woody DONE," helium wrote. 

Trump besides conceded that his repeated claims from the run way that helium would person the warfare successful Ukraine stopped wrong 24 hours of taking bureau were not based connected realistic goals but were "figurative."

"I said that arsenic an exaggeration," helium told reporters, again blaming the warfare connected his predecessor, President Biden.

The Friday, April 25, 2025, beforehand leafage of the New York Post reacted to President Donald Trump telling Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop" bombing Ukraine. (New York Post)

But it appears Trump’s verbal warnings to Putin person fallen connected deaf ears, akin to the results of Biden’s verbal warnings. Trump has repeatedly accused Biden of being partially astatine responsibility for the war, though helium has not explained why. 

Former Moscow CIA Station Chief Dan Hoffman said helium and different information experts repeatedly warned that, nether the Biden administration, Ukraine was not sufficiently equipped to adequately instrumentality connected Russia. 

"After failing to deter Putin's invasion, the Biden medication conscionable kept Ukraine successful the combat but didn't springiness Ukraine a accidental to punch backmost accelerated capable oregon hard enough," helium said.

"There are 3 options," Hoffman added, explaining however the U.S. tin usage its presumption arsenic leverage implicit Moscow. "One, entice Russia. That's what Trump is trying to bash with commercialized deals and eliminating sanctions. And Putin has benignant of plowed done that by rejecting confidence-building ceasefire deals.

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

"The 2nd enactment is to marque Putin wage connected the battlefield truthful that helium feels truthful overmuch symptom helium has to halt the invasion," helium added. "We person Putin that we're going to rearm Ukraine by saying, 'We've offered you a large deal. You don't privation the deal, we're going to limb the Ukrainians.

"The 3rd enactment is to conscionable locomotion distant and fto Europe fend for themselves and enactment Ukraine arsenic overmuch arsenic they can. We would tally the hazard that Russia would instrumentality much territory from Ukraine. That would beryllium a triumph for Russia and its allies – China, North Korea and Iran.

"Let them bash it, and past you'll wage the terms everyplace other successful the world," Hoffman warned, referring to China's threats against Taiwan. "Americans don't similar to combat wars. OK, we don't similar to suffer wars either."

Ukrainian searchers wide rubble aft a Russian ballistic rocket onslaught successful Kyiv, Ukraine, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

NATO CHIEF SENDS MESSAGE TO RUSSIA: YOU 'ARE NOT WINNING THIS’

An authoritative with cognition of the talks told Fox News Digital Friday that "Ambassador Witkoff is successful Russia to conscionable with President Putin arsenic portion of President Trump's efforts to marque peace. 

"It's agelong past clip for the decease and demolition to stop, to determination past the failed strategies of the past and for an extremity to this devastating conflict," the authoritative added without commenting connected the "substance of negotiations."

A study by Axios this week suggested the White House had extended a "final offer" to Ukraine and Russia that called connected Kyiv to admit Russia's concern of astir each the Luhansk portion and the occupied areas of the Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

It besides said the U.S. would hold to admit Crimea, which Putin illegally seized from Ukraine successful 2014, arsenic present legally a portion of Russia, and that Washington would assistance sanctions. 

A pistillate with 2 children cries adjacent a makeshift memorial connected a playground portion honoring the representation of a Russian rocket strike's victims April 6, 2025, successful Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Mykola Domashov/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Neither the White House nor the National Security Council responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated questions astir whether determination volition beryllium consequences for Putin should helium neglect to participate into an statement with Ukraine.

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The medication besides did not remark connected wherefore it believes Putin wants to participate into an statement with the U.S. erstwhile information officials person repeatedly warned otherwise. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already said helium volition not admit Crimea arsenic a portion of Russia but alternatively arsenic Ukrainian onshore illegally occupied by Russia.

Zelenskyy besides connected Thursday posted a 2018 "Crimea declaration" by Trump's first-term Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, which said, "No state tin alteration the borders of different by force" successful a determination to signify Trump’s evident presumption alteration that present favors Russia.