United States President Donald Trump called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine instead of demonstrating new weapons. He made the statement during his trip to Asia, aboard the presidential plane Air Force One, News.bg reports.
According to Trump, the latest Russian test is “completely inappropriate“.
“He should end the war in Ukraine. A conflict that was supposed to end in a week is now entering its fourth year. That's what Putin should do – not launch missiles,“ the American leader said.
His comment comes a day after Moscow announced the successful test of a new cruise missile with nuclear propulsion – „Burevestnik“ (9M730), capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. According to „Reuters“, the weapon is low-flying and can be launched from ground-based installations, having a practically unlimited range. Within NATO, it is known under the code SSC-X-9 Skyfall.
The „Burevestnik“ project was first presented by Putin in 2018, when the Russian president assured that the missile would be able to overcome American missile defense. Yesterday, the Kremlin published a video in which Putin, dressed in camouflage, announces the „successful test“ of this „unique weapon“.
Trump, who in August launched a diplomatic initiative to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, met with Putin in Alaska, then declaring the meeting a “promising step towards peace“. However, just a few weeks later Moscow intensified military strikes, which caused the US president's disappointment.
In response, Washington launched a new series of sanctions targeting Russian energy giants “Rosneft“ and “Lukoil“. Before leaving for Asia, Trump said that he would not meet with Putin until a real agreement to end the conflict was signed.
“I will only sit down at the table if I know there is a chance for a deal. I will not waste my time“, he stressed. “I have always had a good relationship with Vladimir Putin, but the current situation is extremely disappointing.