President Donald Trump issued a blistering statement on Saturday after his meeting in Rome with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, pushing back forcefully against a hit piece published by the New York Times and warning that harsher measures against Russia could be on the table.
The confrontation unfolded after far-left New York Times reporter Peter Baker accused Trump of supposedly “shilling” for Russian President Vladimir Putin while stiffing Ukraine, despite Trump’s repeated efforts to broker a peace agreement.
Speaking from Rome, Trump made it clear: “This is Sleepy Joe Biden’s war, not mine.” He added, “I’m just trying to clean up the mess left behind by Obama and Biden, and what a mess it is.”
A Major Peace Deal in the Works
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, President Trump and President Zelensky met at the Vatican earlier Saturday, where Trump signaled that “major terms” for a peace agreement had been agreed to and that the two nations are “very close to a deal.” Zelensky also hinted on X that “reliable and lasting peace” may soon be within reach.
Despite this, the New York Times unleashed yet another attack, claiming that Trump is prepared to cede too much to Russia, particularly in regard to Crimea — a region Russia annexed during the Obama administration without firing a single shot.
Trump Exposes Media Hypocrisy
Trump, in a fiery Truth Social post, dismantled the Times’ narrative, pointing out the blatant double standard: “Why doesn’t this lightweight reporter say that it was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired?”
He added, “I’ve had nothing to do with this stupid war, other than early on when I gave Ukraine Javelins, and Obama gave them sheets.”
Trump stressed that no matter how favorable any deal he brokered would be, the New York Times would smear it. “Even if it’s the greatest deal ever made,” he said, “The Failing New York Times will speak BADLY of it.”
Warning Putin: Missiles Into Civilians Will Not Be Tolerated
President Trump also condemned Russia’s recent missile strikes against civilian areas, calling the attacks “unacceptable” and hinting at potential retaliation through tougher financial sanctions.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas,” Trump said. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war. He has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions.’ Too many people are dying!”
A Battle on Multiple Fronts
Trump’s sharp rebuke of both the media and Vladimir Putin shows he is prepared to navigate the Ukraine conflict with toughness and pragmatism. While Trump works toward peace, Biden’s foreign policy failures and media loyalists like Peter Baker continue to prop up a disastrous legacy that Trump is being forced to clean up.
As Trump made clear: this war was never his. But ending it — and ending it on terms that are good for America — is his mission now.