Insiders reveal This is how Trump's Russia turnaround really came about
Donald Trump's tone towards Moscow changed radically within just a few days. After a phone call with Vladimir Putin that was perceived as "positive", the US president initially planned a summit meeting in Budapest - only to impose the toughest sanctions of his second term in office to date shortly afterwards.
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- Trump wanted to hold a summit in Budapest after a phone call with Putin - five days later he canceled.
- Instead, the president imposed new sanctions against Russia's largest oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil.
- The reason was Putin's refusal to agree to a ceasefire or concessions in the Ukraine war.
What began as a diplomatic rapprochement ended with an abrupt punitive measure: after a lengthy conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump was convinced that there was movement in the Ukraine conflict - so much so that he quickly announced a peace summit in Budapest. But just five days later, the plan was off the table. Instead, Trump announced new sanctions against Russia, which he himself described as "overdue".
"It just didn't feel right," Trump told journalists at the White House. "I felt like we weren't going to get to the point we needed to get to. So I called it off."
According to CNN information, it quickly became clear in the White House that Putin's position had hardly changed since the last meeting between the two heads of state - at a US base in Alaska. The Kremlin leader continued to demand far-reaching territorial cessions from Kiev and rejected an immediate ceasefire.
Disillusionment after Putin's rigid demands
While Trump initially relied on personal talks, his disappointment with Russia's continued attacks on civilian targets grew. "Every time I talk to Vladimir, they're good talks - but they don't go anywhere," the president complained.
After a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington about possible land concessions, Trump became increasingly convinced that Putin was playing for time.
The turning point came in a conversation between Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister. The Americans realized that Moscow's line had not moved a bit. The planned Budapest summit was canceled - "it would be a waste of time", Trump is reported to have said.
The president then gave the green light for sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's largest oil companies - a step that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had been calling for for months. The sanctions package was drawn up in record time and published on the same day.
Sanctions instead of summit diplomacy
During the meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump explained: "These are very big measures - against your two most important oil companies. We hope they won't be necessary for long. We want this war to end."
Even in the White House, the move came as a surprise. According to CNN's research, Trump's advisors report that the president has become increasingly frustrated in recent weeks because he has seen no tangible progress despite direct talks with Putin.
Trump was also under pressure domestically: Republicans such as Lindsey Graham and John Thune urged him to take tougher action against Moscow. A Russian attack on a daycare center in Kharkiv ultimately tipped the scales, according to government circles.
Trump himself is said to have seen the success of his Middle East policy - in particular the Gaza ceasefire - as proof that toughness leads to results. Now he wants to take the same approach towards Moscow.
"We waited a long time. Now it was time," said Trump after the announcement.
Whether the change of course will last remains to be seen. According to the White House, a meeting with Putin is not ruled out "if the conditions are right".
