"The carrot is gone": Trump is disappointed with Putin, sees him as an obstacle to peace in Ukraine

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is increasingly disappointing US President Donald Trump. The American leader sees him as a greater obstacle to peace in Ukraine than Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is reported by The Telegraph, according to UNN.

The publication's sources also emphasize that the US President's decision to seize a Russian oil tanker and support a new sanctions bill signaled to Putin that he is running out of time to end the war.

A source close to the US President's inner circle said: "He uses the carrot and stick method. And I think he's run out of carrots."

Another source said that the "two steps forward, one step back" strategy in negotiations is increasingly "tiring" Trump.

In the past, Trump spoke warmly of Putin and said that Ukraine was to blame for the war. However, several current and former Washington officials said that the Trump administration's thinking is increasingly aligning with the European view that Putin is stalling.

On Wednesday, American special forces risked a confrontation with Moscow when they boarded a tanker registered in Russia and designated as a sanctions violator.

Hours later, the White House confirmed that Trump had "approved" the sanctions bill during a meeting with Lindsey Graham, one of the most prominent hardliners on Russia in the Senate.

The bill would grant the president extraordinary powers to isolate Russia, including the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on goods imported from countries that purchase Russian oil, petroleum products, or uranium.

One former official said: "The administration is getting tired of the Russians using a 'two steps forward, one step back' strategy... it seems like they're ready, and then when questions arise that we thought they would be ready for, they either ramp up efforts or stop talking for a while."

Ukraine, he said, was more inclined to compromise.

Additionally

The publication notes that Trump demonstrates a fluctuating position on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian war, trying to fulfill his election promise to ensure peace.

Frequent statements that he believes in the seriousness of Putin's intentions to establish peace in Ukraine have worried Zelenskyy's allies in Europe. They point out that warm conversations between the two leaders were often accompanied by missile and drone attacks.

The day before Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago late last year, Russia launched ballistic missiles and drones at Kyiv, killing at least one person.

A British official said that as a result, the Trump administration's mentality has become closer to the European view of the conflict than ever before. He said: "Putin's constant brutality, his vile behavior, and playing games do not go unnoticed by the administration."

On Thursday, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy met with Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House. The talks were expected to focus on the US proposal to support security guarantees to protect Ukraine in the event of a renewed Russian attack.

As expected, Putin's foreign ministry condemned these plans and stated that any deployment of Western troops on Ukrainian territory would be considered "legitimate targets."

The press secretary stated: "The Russian Foreign Ministry warns that the deployment of military units, military facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries on the territory of Ukraine will be classified as foreign intervention."

Then Russia launched a hypersonic ballistic missile "Oreshnik" at the Lviv region. The city is hundreds of kilometers from the front line, but, importantly, very close to the border with Poland, a NATO and EU member. Ukraine stated that this is a test for the transatlantic community.

At a recent press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Mr. Trump expressed personal dissatisfaction with Putin. He said: "I'm not thrilled with Putin, he kills too many people."

A day later, he refuted Russia's claims that Ukraine had attacked one of Putin's residences with a drone. On board the presidential plane, he told reporters: "I don't believe that attack happened. We don't believe it happened now that we've been able to verify it."

A former White House official said Trump was also "emboldened" after the special forces raid to capture Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela. He said: "This was an operation that only the United States or perhaps Israel could have carried out."

Нагадаємо: США захопили ще один танкер тіньового флоту РФ біля берегів Венесуели.