Senator Chuck Grassley issued a warning to President Trump, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of manipulating the United States and urging Trump to impose tougher sanctions on Russia. Grassley, one of the most outspoken congressional Republicans criticizing Russian aggression in Ukraine, said plainly that Russia is “playing America as a patsy.”
Grassley has been pushing Trump to follow through on threats to sanction Russia if it refuses to come to the negotiating table over the war in Ukraine. Trump, for his part, has said he hopes to have a peace agreement finalized before his administration marks 100 days back in office next week. On Friday, he posted on Truth Social that negotiations are “going smoothly,” and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to “immediately” sign a minerals deal that would grant the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth resources.
Despite that, much of Trump’s frustration in recent days has been aimed not at Putin but at Zelenskyy. Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly criticized Zelenskyy, accusing him of being a “dictator without elections” and complaining during Oval Office meetings with Vice President JD Vance that Zelenskyy isn’t doing enough to end the war Russia started.
Grassley, however, has repeatedly broken with Trump on this issue, arguing that it is Putin not Zelenskyy who must be held accountable for the continued violence. Earlier this year, when Trump attacked Zelenskyy on social media, Grassley defended the Ukrainian leader and condemned Putin’s actions as dictatorial and destabilizing.
Tensions have escalated further as Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy earlier this week, blaming him for pushing back against a U.S.-led peace proposal that reportedly includes territorial concessions. Trump suggested in an interview with TIME Magazine that Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, “will stay with Russia,” adding that Zelenskyy “understands that.”
Zelenskyy, however, has stood firm, stating that Ukraine’s constitution does not permit ceding any territory and that recognizing Crimea as Russian is not an option under any circumstances.
“I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelenskyy,” Trump said during a press conference in the Oval Office on Wednesday. “So far, it’s been harder.”
Despite focusing much of his criticism on Ukraine, Trump told reporters Thursday that his administration is “putting a lot of pressure” on Russia as well. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin again on Friday, signaling that talks are still ongoing even as frustration grows on both sides.
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