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His comments come as US senators proposed a new £40 billion package of military aid for Ukraine
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President Donald Trump has said that Russia’s war in Ukraine is “disgusting”, in his latest attack on Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he plans to impose sanctions on Moscow if no agreement can be reached to end the conflict.
Trump said he was not sure whether sanctions would deter Russia. Earlier this week, the President announced that Moscow had until August 8 to make a deal or face sanctions.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia after his current trip to Israel, the President said.
It came as a pair of bipartisan US senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would provide £40 billion ($54.6bn) in military aid to Ukraine over the next two years.
Congress last passed a major aid package for Ukraine – £46 billion ($61bn) – in April 2024, when Democrat Joe Biden was still president and his fellow Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate.
Syria’s top diplomat met with Russian officials on Thursday on the first visit to Moscow by a member of the new government in Damascus since former Syrian President Bashar Assad was ousted.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani in the Kremlin, according to Syrian news agency SANA.
Before the talks with Putin, al-Shibani met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who emphasised that the Russian authorities “sincerely wish that the Syrian people, with whom we have long-standing friendship, overcome all existing challenges and completely normalise the situation.”
Assad was an ally of Russia, and Moscow’s scorched-earth intervention in support of him a decade ago turned the tide of Syria’s civil war and kept Assad in his seat until his swift demise in December.
A powerful US Senate committee approved a military spending bill on Thursday that includes about $1 billion to support Ukraine, despite President Donald Trump’s administration having asked Congress to eliminate such funding in its budget request.
The Republican-led Senate Appropriations Committee approved $852 billion for the Department of Defence in the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30, 2026.
This is $21.7 billion, or 2.6%, more than the Republican president requested earlier this year.
The committee voted 26-3 to send the spending measure for a vote in the full Senate, with strong support from both Democrats and Trump’s fellow Republicans.
A pair of bipartisan US senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would provide £40 billion ($54.6bn) in military aid to Ukraine over the next two years.
The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, faces a stiff struggle to become law but follows threats by President Donald Trump to increase military aid to Kyiv if Moscow does not take steps to end the war.
Congress last passed a major aid package for Ukraine – £46 billion ($61bn) – in April 2024, when Democrat Joe Biden was still president and his fellow Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate.
President Donald Trump has said that Russia’s war in Ukraine is “disgusting”.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said he plans to impose sanctions on Moscow if no agreement can be reached to end the conflict.
Trump said he was not sure whether sanctions would deter Russia.
He has given Russian President Vladimir Putin until August 8 to make a deal or else he will respond with economic pressure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he had a good first call with the Polish president-elect, Karol Nawrocki, who is due to assume his role next week.
“We trust that Poland will continue to be our reliable partner and ally,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, emphasising the importance of continued military, political and humanitarian support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says Putin’s war in Ukraine is ‘disgusting’ and threatens Moscow with sanctions – The Independent
