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The Telegraph reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeing him as the main obstacle to peace rather than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump’s recent actions, including the seizure of oil tankers from Russia’s “shadow fleet” and support for a new round of anti-Russian sanctions, signal that Washington’s patience is wearing thin.
“He operates on a carrot-and-stick approach. And I think he’s run out of carrots,” a source told the publication. Another insider noted that Trump is tired of Russia’s strategy of “two steps forward, one step back,” which he finds exhausting.
The U.S. president’s stance is increasingly aligning with European views that Putin is playing an endless game. Incidents such as Russia’s missile and drone strikes on Kyiv just before Zelensky’s meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in late 2025 reinforced Washington’s perception of Putin’s destabilizing behavior.
“Putin’s constant brutality, deceitful actions, and games are not going unnoticed by the administration,” the source said. Previously, Trump had stated he saw no need to pursue actions against Putin similar to those taken against Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, citing their “always excellent relationship,” but he added: “I am very disappointed.”
