Trump's frustration with Putin grows - will sanctions follow?

The US president made it clear that his patience with Vladimir Putin was running out, warning him that he was “playing with fire” by refusing to hold serious peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.

However, despite his disappointment that Putin is not responding to his proposal to reset relations with the United States after a peaceful settlement, Trump has not yet decided to change his approach.

“Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,” said one administration official.

Possible sanctions

Trump has not yet decided to impose new sanctions on Moscow in response to the intensification of attacks on Ukraine, four US officials said.

Ukraine's supporters in Congress are treading carefully, urging the White House to follow through on threats against Putin. European allies are also worried: they fear that Trump may abandon pressure on the Kremlin and leave them alone to support Ukraine.

“If it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He's playing with fire!”

Skepticism inside and outside the administration

Although Trump told reporters that he is considering additional sanctions against Russia, he also accused Putin of being “absolutely CRAZY.”

But threats remain just words. According to Kurt Volker, Trump's former special envoy for Ukraine, the president has not actually stepped up his policy against Moscow: “He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.”

Trump also continues to criticize other players. In his post, he wrote that the blame for the war lies with Joe Biden, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump “wants to see a negotiated peace deal” and keeps all options on the table.

Sanctions are in question

According to Fred Fleitz of the America First Policy Institute, Trump's patience is "running thin,” and “within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions.”

Meanwhile, in conversations with European leaders, Trump, according to sources, justified Putin, saying that he could have refused to negotiate because of the threat of new sanctions from the United States and Europe.

Some of Trump's advisers have been telling him that sanctions could hurt American companies and push Russia away from the talks.

Republicans pressure Trump

Republican senators are discussing a sanctions bill that could gain support in the Senate, but they need a signal from Trump. Without his approval, the initiative could be blocked in the House of Representatives.

Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune said he was ready to bring the bill to a vote if Russia did not come to the negotiating table. Senator John Barrasso also emphasized that “if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.”

Some senators, including Kevin Cramer, believe that Thune can move forward with sanctions without Trump's direct approval, although it would be politically better to get such a signal.

Senator Lindsey Graham is actively coordinating his initiative with the State Department and convincing allies that the Senate is “ moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.”

Dividing topics and hopes for trade

According to European diplomats, the Russian government is trying to separate the issue of the war in Ukraine from the general context of US-Russia relations, in which Moscow and Washington see economic potential.

“It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics. One is Russia-US relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic,” the European official said.

Both the US and Russia have hinted at the prospects for trade after a possible peaceful settlement. “Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic “bloodbath” is over, and I agree,” Trump wrote after his last talk with Putin.

As a reminder, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that Trump's latest statements about Putin should not be seen as a disappointment.