U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly voiced his growing frustration with Vladimir Putin, accusing the Russian president of consistently delivering “a lot of bulls**t.” The blunt remark came during a cabinet meeting, where Trump made it clear he is increasingly disillusioned with the Kremlin’s conduct.

Trump criticized Putin for his duplicity, saying the Russian leader was “very nice all the time,” but in the end, it “turns out to be meaningless.” He also reiterated that the war Russia launched against Ukraine should never have begun.

In response to questions about a pending Russia sanctions bill, Trump said he is examining it closely. “I’m looking at it very strongly,” he stated, though he also described the legislation as “totally optional.” The bill, introduced in April, proposes imposing 500% tariffs on imports from countries buying Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other resources. Despite the attention it has received, it has yet to advance through the legislative process. The Senate is expected to revisit it after its summer recess.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, recently indicated that the president is warming up to more decisive action against Moscow. According to Graham, Trump told him privately, “It’s time to move” on the sanctions. Graham added, “I’m confident the president is ready for us to act.”

Trump’s remarks on Russia come amid increasing criticism of Putin in recent weeks. On July 3, the U.S. president had a phone call with the Russian leader, after which he said he was “very disappointed.” Then, during the July 8 cabinet session, he once again emphasized the human cost of the conflict, noting, “(Putin is) killing a lot of people - his soldiers and their soldiers mostly. And it’s now up to 7,000 a week.”

When asked by reporters if he intends to take concrete measures, Trump declined to provide specifics, simply saying, “Wouldn’t be telling you… We want to have a little surprise.”

Alongside the sanctions debate, Trump also touched on military assistance to Ukraine. He said that under his directive, the United States had already provided some of the world’s most advanced systems, including Patriot air defense batteries and Javelin anti-tank missiles. He described them as “the best equipment in the world.”

However, U.S. military support has faced temporary interruptions. On July 2, the Pentagon paused shipments amid an internal review of American stockpile levels. The halt came just as Ukraine faced an uptick in Russian aerial bombardments, leading to mounting vulnerability on the battlefield. Trump denied that the U.S. had stopped the deliveries altogether.

The following week, the Pentagon announced that it would resume shipments, saying President Trump had instructed the Department of Defense to supply additional defensive weapons to help Ukraine defend itself. The Pentagon statement noted that the move aimed to support Ukraine while the U.S. continues working toward “a lasting peace.”

Trump, who during his campaign vowed to end the war within 24 hours, has yet to make tangible progress on negotiations. Still, his recent tone marks a shift toward more explicit criticism of the Kremlin - and stronger signals of potential punitive measures ahead.