President Donald Trump is considering new sanctions on Russia after expressing frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine and the slow pace of peace negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trump said on Sunday, May 25, that he is “absolutely” considering additional sanctions and questioned Putin’s motives following Russia’s largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
“He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump said. “What the hell happened to him?”
Why is Trump reconsidering his approach to Putin?
The comments signal a sharp shift for Trump, who campaigned on his ability to broker peace in Ukraine. However, a recent two-hour phone call between the two reportedly failed to produce an agreement on a U.S.-backed 30-day ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine supports.
After that call, Trump told European leaders he believed “Putin isn’t ready to end war,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
What sanctions are under discussion?
While banking sanctions appear unlikely, officials said the White House is weighing other measures aimed at pressuring Putin to return to negotiations. Trump has not committed to action but is said to be losing patience with the lack of progress and the scale of recent attacks.
Over the weekend of May 24, Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack to date, with more than 350 drones and at least nine cruise missiles in strikes that killed at least 13 people. The Kremlin characterized the assault as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory.
How has Russia responded to Trump’s remarks?
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed Trump’s comments, where the U.S. president called Putin “absolutely crazy,” as “emotional overload.” However, Peskov acknowledged Moscow remained “grateful” for Trump’s efforts to broker talks.
Are U.S. allies changing course too?
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Germany, the U.S., France and the U.K. removed range restrictions on weapons provided to Ukraine, enabling deeper strikes into Russian territory.
Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States have now lifted range limits on weapons provided to Ukraine, a significant shift that allows Kyiv to strike military targets deeper inside Russian territory.
“Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia… With very few exceptions, it didn’t do that until recently,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
What comes next?
Trump has warned that he may walk away from negotiations if the next round fails to materialize. At the same time, a bipartisan group in Congress is rallying support for tougher sanctions, including penalties on countries that buy Russian oil and uranium. It’s still unclear whether Trump will back that push.
