"For once, a phone call with Vladimir Putin did not lead to a thaw. By imposing sanctions on Russia this week, Donald Trump broke from his usual pattern of easing tensions with the Kremlin after conversations with the Russian leader, when threats of pressure often give way to talk of renewed dialogue. At first, events seemed to follow a familiar script. As Washington flirted with the idea of supplying Ukraine with powerful Tomahawk missiles, Putin and Trump spoke by phone last week."
"But Groundhog Day seems to be over. Already frustrated by the fruitless Alaska meeting, where Putin reportedly subjected him to a history lecture, Trump lost patience this week after talks between his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, made clear that Moscow saw no room for compromise on its stance in Ukraine. On Wednesday, Trump vented his frustration with the Russian president, announcing that the Budapest summit was shelved."
Donald Trump historically softened pressure after calls with Vladimir Putin, often shifting from threats to renewed dialogue. That pattern led to summit planning and removal of threats such as Tomahawk missiles from consideration. Putin timed calls and meetings to undercut opponents and inject momentum into talks, creating a repetitive loop of escalation and détente. Frustration increased after a fruitless Alaska meeting and after talks between Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov showed Moscow unwilling to compromise on Ukraine. In response, Trump imposed sanctions, shelved the planned Budapest summit, and publicly expressed impatience with conversations that produced no progress.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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