Russia and Ukraine Attack Each Other with Drones as Trump Frustrates with Peace Efforts

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump has again vented his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine despite White House efforts to broker a peace deal between the two warring neighbors.

"Every conversation I've had with him has been a good conversation," Trump said, as reported by ABC News on Tuesday, August 26.

"And then unfortunately, a bomb was planted in Kyiv or somewhere else, and then I got very angry about it," he continued.

Trump has repeatedly rebuked Putin over Russia's nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities. But the US president remains hopeful for progress toward a peace deal.

"I think we're going to finish the war," Trump said.

"You never know what's going to happen in a war. Strange things happen in war. The fact that (Putin) went to Alaska, our country, I think, is a big statement that he wants to finish it," he said.

Both Russia and Ukraine continued to launch long-range attacks throughout the weekend and into Monday.

On Tuesday, August 26, the Ukrainian air force stated that Russia launched 59 drones into the country overnight, of which 47 were shot down or neutralized.

The air force reported impacts from 12 drones at nine locations.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its forces shot down 51 Ukrainian drones overnight and into Tuesday morning, two of which were en route to Moscow.

After meeting face-to-face with Putin in Alaska and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—as well as several European leaders—in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, Trump raised hopes for an imminent bilateral meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.

When asked if he would act if the bilateral meeting did not materialize, Trump declined to elaborate on the possible consequences.

But Trump said he would probably act "in the next week or two."