Watch| Trump Declares Neutrality in Russia-Ukraine War, Distances Himself from Putin

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) appealed to put an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, highlighting that his is not a position taken out of allegiance towards a single nation but out of concern for human life.

"I am on nobody's side. you know what side I am on? Humanity side. I want to stop killing of thousands of people," Trump said in a statement to reporters. "I'd like the killing to cease in the Ukraine-Russia war. That is the side I am on," he added.

Trump's remarks represent a significant departure from his previous positions, in which he frequently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a "strong leader" and accepting his praise. But as the long-running war in Ukraine rages on, Trump admitted that he now is "disappointed" with the Russian leader.

He continues to hit Ukraine like our calls didn't count for anything," Trump once said. Describing a White House conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump related how First Lady Melania Trump challenged his rosy perception of Putin. "I go home, I say to the first lady, 'You know, I had a great talk to Vladimir today. We had an excellent conversation.' She says, 'Oh, yeah? Another city was attacked,'" he related.

"I don't want to call him an assassin, but he's a tough cookie. It's been demonstrated over the years. He has duped a lot of people," Trump said, adding that Melania's reaction encouraged him to reconsider his approach to Putin.

As an aside, Trump unveiled a new military aid initiative for Ukraine, committing "billions of dollars" in weapons through European partners. He also warned Moscow sternly that unless a ceasefire is agreed upon in 50 days, harsh economic sanctions would be imposed. "We're going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple. And they'll be at 100 percent, and that's the way it is," Trump declared. "I use trade for a lot of things.". But it's wonderful to end wars.

Part of ongoing peace initiatives, a US special envoy also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday. While Trump has before criticized Zelenskyy, labeling him "ungrateful" for US military aid while President Biden is in office, his recent actions indicate more attention to diplomacy.

In comments to the media on Sunday, Trump criticized what he saw as betrayal by Putin. "I'm very disappointed in President Putin. I thought that he was a person who meant what he said. And he'll speak so nicely and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that," Trump complained, demonstrating a stark shift in his perspective.

Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's longest-standing supporters, provided more light on the president's recent actions. On CBS's Face the Nation, Graham said that Trump had spent six months trying to coax Putin to the table. "For six months, President Trump tried to entice Putin to the table. The attacks have gone up, not down," he said. "One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump."

For Trump: a self-proclaimed master dealmaker, Putin's defiance has been a significant defeat. Trump has repeatedly relied on Putin — most notably during their 2018 Helsinki press conference, where he seemed to side with Putin's denial of election interference over US agencies' conclusions.

Putin, who has been Russia's most dominant leader since the Stalin era, has demonstrated no desire to bend regarding Ukraine. He still denies the independence of Ukraine and sees the decline of the Soviet Union as an existential tragedy.

Speaking on the situation, retired US rear admiral and Senate counselor Mark Montgomery said Putin's interpretation of Trump could have been wrong. "I don't think this ends until Putin feels either weapons system pain or economic pain that he cannot sustain," Montgomery said, referring to the view of some policymakers that "TACO" — Trump Always Chickens Out — is no longer applicable.