White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tore into the media on Monday, accusing reporters of trying to sabotage President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Her fiery remarks came just days after Trump’s much-hyped summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended with no ceasefire deal and no new sanctions on Russia.
“All weekend, following those historic U.S.-Russia bilateral talks, we listened to clueless pundits on television trying, but failing, to claim that the president had failed,” Leavitt said during her press briefing. She claimed the talks were “a resounding success” and slammed foreign policy experts for criticizing Trump.
“The so-called experts in the foreign policy establishment, whose record is nothing but endless wars, trillions of wasted taxpayer dollars and dead Americans, have the nerve to try and lecture President Trump, who has solved seven global conflicts in seven months, about peace,” she said.
Despite the strong language, the facts on the ground tell a different story. After a three-hour closed-door meeting with Putin, Trump left without a ceasefire deal or any concrete progress. Russia escalated its assault on Ukraine that same night, launching hundreds of missiles and drone strikes.
Leavitt brushed off concerns about the outcome, saying the summit was only meant to be a “listening session” and that a second meeting would follow. That next round of talks happened Monday in Washington, where Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with leaders from NATO, the EU, France, Britain, Italy, and Germany.
Trump insists a deal is still within reach, saying talks between Putin and Zelensky could happen soon. But he also hinted Ukraine may have to make territorial concessions—something Kyiv has strongly resisted. Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign ministry warned it “categorically” rejects any NATO presence in Ukraine, calling it a trigger for “uncontrolled escalation.”
European leaders are still unsure what role they will play in future peacekeeping or security guarantees. Doubts remain over whether Putin has any real intention of pulling back his military.
Still, Trump’s allies in Congress are trying to frame his diplomacy as a success. On Tuesday, Reps. Andy Ogles and Marlin Stutzman nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, despite no deal being reached.
As the questions mounted, Leavitt lashed out at the press corps again.
“This is why Americans’ trust in the mass media is at a lowest point in more than five decades,” she said. “Diplomacy is a delicate process, and instead of reporting the facts about what is happening here at this White House and what is happening between this President and other leaders around the world, many outlets in this room continue to try to actively undermine the president and sabotage the efforts towards peace.”
But with bombs still falling in Ukraine and Putin unmoved, critics say Trump’s attempt at a peace deal looks more like a photo op than progress.
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