According to the New York Times, the US president has indicated he doesn’t intend to increase sanctions against Moscow.
Citing sources, the New York Times reported on Monday that US President Donald Trump is considering withdrawing from the Ukraine peace process due to a lack of progress. However, the report states that Trump is hesitant to impose stricter sanctions on Russia.
The NYT suggests Trump’s sentiment followed a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he spoke with several European leaders.
Officials briefed on the conversation told the NYT that Trump expressed his impression that “Putin thought he was winning the war and would press his advantage.” They also indicated Trump “made it clear he had no intention on putting pressure, much less harsh economic sanctions, on Russia.”
One NYT source claimed, “He said, essentially, ‘I’m out.’” The paper also noted that it’s unclear whether Trump, who has expressed skepticism about US aid to Ukraine and has yet to approve new aid packages, would continue military support for Kiev.
The NYT reports that Trump, who has called the Ukraine conflict “Europe’s war,” was surprised by Moscow’s refusal to compromise on its key terms for resolving the crisis. Russia has maintained that any lasting peace must include guarantees of Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and recognition of the current territorial situation.
A separate report by the Wall Street Journal also claimed that Trump is increasingly frustrated with the peace process and may abandon it if current efforts fail. The WSJ suggested that the US leader is considering new sanctions against Russia, though no final decision has been made.
These reports follow Trump’s claim that Putin “has gone absolutely CRAZY,” criticizing Moscow for launching “missiles and drones… into cities in Ukraine for no reason whatsoever.”
Moscow has stated that its recent strikes targeting Ukrainian military facilities were in response to Kiev’s increased drone attacks on Russian territory. Russian officials have reported intercepting over 100 Ukrainian UAVs nearly every day, implying that the strikes are intended to disrupt the peace process.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the beginning of negotiations is a “very important moment which is fraught with emotional overload” for all parties involved. He also emphasized that Putin makes decisions “required for the security of our country,” while praising the Trump administration’s efforts to mediate an end to the conflict.