US President Donald Trump is signaling that his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin is running out, but he has not yet decided whether to take concrete action, including imposing new sanctions against Moscow. This is reported by Politico, citing sources in the US administration.
"Putin is dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump built for him", an administration official said anonymously, referring to Trump's attempts to maintain a channel of communication with the Kremlin.
According to four US officials quoted by Politico, Trump is still considering whether to impose additional sanctions in response to the increased Russian attacks in Ukraine.
The former US special representative for Ukraine during Trump's first term, Kurt Volker, commented: "I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever impose serious sanctions on Russia. He had so many opportunities to do so, but he always turned them down."
At the same time, Ukraine's European allies, worried that Trump might abandon peace talks without holding the Kremlin accountable, are looking for ways to take the initiative themselves in support of Kiev, Politico also writes.