Trump claims respect restored after Putin talks amid criticism
Donald Trump has commented on another phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. According to the American president, the Russian leader is now taking the words of US officials seriously. "We were a laughing stock, an absolute laughing stock, but we're not a laughing stock any longer," Trump said.
Efforts to initiate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine continue. Donald Trump's administration is actively involved in these discussions. The US President is accused of placing great trust in Vladimir Putin and of being submissive to the Russian leader.
Evidence includes the Ukrainian-Russian memorandum that Trump "negotiated" during phone conversations with the Russian president. Ukrainian politicians are not entirely sure how the discussions on the memorandum should proceed or what the Kremlin aims to achieve through these talks.
Trump himself is confident that he is on the right track. The US President appears to be pleased with himself. In a conversation with journalists, he admitted that not so long ago, the United States was a "laughingstock". Today, it's supposed to be different.
We were a laughing stock, an absolute laughing stock, but we're not a laughing stock any longer. And, as I said, I was talking to president Putin for two and a half hours. That was being very seriously listened to - said Donald Trump.
Trump expressed to journalists at the White House that the situation should never have occurred and that the U.S. should not have been involved in the first place. However, he added, the country is once again respected on the global stage.
