On October 22, US President Donald Trump announced at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that he was canceling a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest. Trump explained his decision by saying that the two sides were unlikely to reach an agreement on a settlement to the Ukrainian conflict. Trump also indicated that he would be open to holding a summit with Putin in the future. That same day, the US imposed sanctions against Russia's largest oil companies.
Vedomosti reports on how foreign media reacted to the American leader's abrupt change in position.
Reuters
For months, Trump resisted pressure from U.S. lawmakers to impose energy sanctions in hopes that Putin would agree to end the fighting. But with no end in sight, he said he believed the time had come to act. <...> Ahead of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in South Korea, Trump said he wanted Xi to use his influence with Putin to stop the fighting.
The Guardian
The announcement [of US sanctions] was a victory for Ukraine and its European allies, who had watched with concern as Trump appeared to succumb to Putin's entreaties that the only way to achieve peace was for Ukraine to cede territory and agree to limit its military and economic partnerships with Europe and the US. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had spoken with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shortly before the new sanctions were announced and praised the measures.
CNN
President Donald Trump has hinted for weeks that he might impose sanctions on Russia for continuing the conflict, but stopped short of taking significant punitive action Wednesday. The announcement came after Trump said he had canceled a planned meeting with Putin because he"didn't feel like we were getting to where we needed to be." Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump explained that he felt the time had come to impose sanctions, noting that he had been waiting a long time for this moment. However, the US president expressed hope that they would not last long because the conflict would end.
Le Parisien
A real turn or another threat in the air? On Wednesday, Donald Trump allowed his irritation to spill over into Vladimir Putin's Russia, which Washington considers"neither frank nor honest," and announced a significant tightening of sanctions against Moscow for its special operation in Ukraine in parallel with the European Union.
Newsweek
US officials said the move targeted the backbone of the Russian economy – oil revenues, which have helped the country sustain its war effort despite international isolation. The sanctions were imposed after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Washington for talks and met with President Donald Trump.
BBC
Speaking alongside Rutte in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump criticized Putin for not taking peace seriously and said he hoped sanctions would help achieve a breakthrough. He called the sanctions package enormous and added that he hoped they would be lifted quickly if Russia agreed to end the conflict. Rutte also praised the move, saying it puts more pressure on Putin.
Zeit
The US President expressed hope that new sanctions would bring Putin to his senses. He also expressed hope that the sanctions would not be in place for long. Trump also expressed hope that China could exert its influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping could have"a tremendous influence on Putin," Trump said."He's a respected man. He's a very strong leader of a great country," the US President continued.
