Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a planned summit with Vladimir Putin in Budapest and imposed the first sanctions against Russia during his second presidential term. In comments regarding this decision, he noted that "the time has come" for such measures.
According to Trump, "every time I talk to Vladimir, it's always good conversations, but they don't lead to anything concrete."
Sources claim that Russia presented the U.S. with a peace plan that largely reiterates Moscow's previous demands, including the transfer of territories that Russian troops do not yet control. The Russian side believed that Trump might agree to concessions regarding Donbas in exchange for minimal steps from Moscow in other regions. However, after meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump reiterated the need for a ceasefire along the existing front line, which was rejected by Moscow even before the summit in Alaska.
Despite the cancellation of the meeting, Rubio did not rule out the possibility of future engagement with Russia, stating that the U.S. will always be open to dialogue if it helps achieve peace. He also noted that the president had warned of the need for tough measures in the absence of progress in negotiations.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced sanctions against Russia's largest oil companies, including Rosneft and Lukoil.
