President Donald Trump on Monday patronizingly berated a female reporter who questioned his stalled efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war.
Trump, who has yet to fulfill his campaign vow to immediately stop the conflict launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022, was asked by The Nightly Australia’s Latika Bourke: “You are the most powerful man on earth. Why don’t you just enable Ukraine to finish this war tomorrow?”
Sitting next to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Trump first said: “Well, if you knew anything about what you were talking about.”
“I do, I do,” Bourke replied.
“You do? I don’t think you do, really, I don’t think you do, because it’s a little more complicated than that,” Trump shot back.
“It sounds easy,” he continued. “We’re in the process of trying to make a deal. If we make a deal, that’s great. If we don’t make a deal, it’ll be ― a lot of people are going to be paying a big price.”
On Friday, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reportedly urging him to cede territory to Russia and refusing to supply Tomahawk missiles. A day earlier, Trump had spoken with Putin, after which the two leaders announced a second summit in Budapest, Hungary, following their August meeting in Alaska.
