Trump attacks Putin over Ukraine onslaught but will he impose consequences?
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin would allow him get through to the Russian president and bring peace to Ukraine.
But after Moscow's escalation of strikes on Kyiv over the weekend, Trump wrote Putin's gone "absolutely CRAZY!"
"I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," Trump wrote in a social media post on Sunday. By Tuesday, Trump warned Putin was "playing with fire."
The comments are the clearest sign yet of Trump's mounting frustration with Putin -- but the question remains whether he will take any punitive action against Russia or if he's making idle threats.
MORE: Hundreds of drones attack Russia with impacts, disruption reported in Moscow
Asked on Wednesday what the consequences would be if Russia continues its intensified barrage on Ukraine, Trump deflected.
"Well, I'm not going to tell you exactly. But the words speak pretty loud," he said.
Trump was asked on Sunday if he would consider imposing new sanctions on Russia. The president said "absolutely."
The Kremlin responded that Trump's criticism of Putin was an "emotional reaction" and that he didn't "fully understand" their military motives.
"Putin's intent has been obvious. He's stated it over and over. He's acted on it. It is to be sure that Ukraine is not a sovereign nation," said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine currently serving as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. "He is not a friend of the United States. And this has been clear for a long time. He has been able to play and outplay President Trump all along."
"I think that President Trump is recognizing that reality," Taylor told ABC News. "That Putin is not his buddy. That Putin is attacking Ukraine in record numbers of missiles and drones right after speaking to Trump. This is not a serious negotiator. Putin is very clearly not interested in stopping this war."
Trump continued to say on Wednesday he was "disappointed" and "not happy" with Russia's onslaught toward Ukraine.
"Trump's comments won't necessarily affect the stance either side takes in these talks: the Ukrainians will convey maximum flexibility, while the Russians will stress the concessions they expect Kyiv to make. Where you could see a change is in the U.S. attitude toward new sanctions or new aid to Ukraine," said Stephen Sestanovich, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who served as the State Department's ambassador-at-large for the former Soviet Union.
Trump had promised to end the war on Day 1 in office -- a pledge he later said was hyperbolic.
He's come under heavy scrutiny for making public demands of Ukraine, including that it give up the goal of NATO membership and possibly conceding some territory gained by Putin's forces, while not doing the same with Russia.
An hourslong phone call between Trump and Putin last week yielded no major breakthroughs. Putin said he was ready to work on a "memorandum on a possible future peace agreement" but showed no signs of making concessions.
Trump had said after that call direct talks between Ukraine and Russia would start immediately and possibly be held at the Vatican. Russia later rejected the Vatican as a location.
MORE: Putin 'playing games' with US peace talks, Zelenskyy says amid drone attack
Retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, told Fox News this week that new Russia-Ukraine talks could take place in Geneva -- perhaps involving Trump, Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On the "memorandum" mentioned by Putin, Kellogg said Ukraine has given their version of the document and "now we need to get the same from Russia."
Trump on Wednesday said he would sit down with Putin and Zelenskyy "if it's necessary." Asked if he still believed Putin really wants to end the war, Trump sidestepped.
"I can't tell you that," Trump said. "But I'll let you know in about two weeks. Within two weeks. We're going to find out very soon. We're going to find out whether or not he's tapping us along or not. And if he is, we'll respond a little bit differently. But it will take about a week and a half, two weeks."
Trump made similar comments back in April wondering if Putin was "tapping" the U.S. along, and warned they'd take another tack if so, though nothing has substantially changed since then.
"Trying to read Putin's mind is a risky business, but right now he seems to think he can pretend to negotiate without limiting his military attacks and that Trump will hold off on new sanctions or new weapons," Sestanovich said. "If Trump thinks Putin's approach shows considerable disrespect for him, well, he's right."
Trump's threat of additional sanctions is one he's made previously, though he's yet to implement them and did not join European countries when they announced last week their own sanctions package against Russia.
On Wednesday, Trump was asked what was stopping him from imposing new sanctions.
"Only the fact that if I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that. Let me tell you, I'm a lot tougher than the people you're talking about," Trump told reporters.
There is growing support for economic pressure on Russia among Republicans. In the Senate, a bill from South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham that would impose sanctions on countries that buy Russian energy has more than 80 co-sponsors.
"This is not the time for more 'Vladimir stop.' This is not the time for questions of concern about being pissed off. Those times are passed," said Taylor. "Now is the time, if President Trump is serious, and I think he is serious about ending this war, now's the time for him to take action."
MORE: Russia is preparing new offensives, according to Ukraine intelligence: Zelenskyy
Yet just last week, after speaking with Putin, Trump floated he might "back away" from talks completely -- and leave it Putin and Zelenskyy to sort things out themselves.
Such a move would be a win for the Russian leader, analysts say.
"That said, I don't think that President Trump and the administration will walk away because this has been the top priority since before the election and for President Trump to throw up his hands, essentially give in and give up to President Putin, would be an admission of defeat, admission of loss, would give President Putin a big win and would be a stain on President Trump," Taylor said.
Trump attacks Putin over Ukraine onslaught but will he impose consequences? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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