United States Foreign Minister Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for the second time in two days on Friday, with the war in Ukraine being the focus of their debate. They had met for 50 minutes on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia on Thursday.

During the election campaign for his re -election, US President Donald Trump had promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking over his duties, Al Jazeera reminded. But more than four months later, the prospects of truce seem more distant than ever, with Russia unleashing a fierce bombing against Ukraine in recent days.

After Thursday’s meeting, Rubio told reporters that Trump was “frustrated and upset that there was no greater flexibility on the Russian side” to end the war in Ukraine.

So has Trump’s view of war changed – and what are his next choices?

Has Trump’s position changed against Russia?

Rubio’s comments come at a time when Trump is increasingly publicly criticized by Putin, having previously accused Ukraine of not wanting peace.

“Putin throws us a lot of … He is very kind all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless, “Trump said on Tuesday.

Since February, the US has held separate talks with Russia and Ukraine and have mediated direct talks with each other in May in Constantinople for the first time since the first months of Russia’s generalized invasion in 2022.

But while Putin has offered brief pauses in the battles, he has not accepted the US proposal for unconditional 30 -day truce. Ukraine has accepted this proposal. Russia argues that Ukraine could use the truce to mobilize troops and re -arrange.

When asked by reporters this week whether they were mobilized because of his frustration with Putin, Trump replied: “I wouldn’t tell you. Don’t we want to have a little surprise? “

However, experts warn that we should not conclude that Trump is ready to take tough measures against Russia.

“The western media are full of commentary on what is called ” change of attitude ” by Trump to Putin. But so far, there is no reason to believe that something has changed, “Kaire Jiles, a senior consultant at the London -based Catham House, told Al Jazeera.

“There is a wave of optimism around the world that this could eventually lead to a change in US policy. But, in any previous case, this has not happened. “

Indeed, after Thursday’s meeting between Rubio and Lavrov, both sides implied that they were willing to continue to have diplomatic communication.

Ukraine equipment to deal with Russia

In early July, the Trump government announced its decision to “suspend” the supply of weapons to Kiev. A week later, he recalled the decision.

“We will send more weapons. We have to do it. Must be able to defend themselves. They are getting very hard blows now, “Trump said on July 8.

On Thursday, Trump told the NBC network that these weapons would be sold to NATO, which would pay the full amount. NATO will then transfer them to Ukraine.

“We send weapons to NATO, and NATO pays for these weapons, 100%”, Trump said to the NBC, adding that the US will send Patriot missiles to the alliance.

Trump said the deal was reached during the NATO summit in The Hague in June.

Trump had also frozen the help to Ukraine in February, following an episode with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski at the White House. Trump accused Zelenski of persuading the US to “spend $ 350 billion to go to a war that could not be won.”

Trump resumed to send supplies weeks later. Between January 2022 and April 2025, the US has provided Ukraine about $ 134 billion to help, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

The Maga party base [Κάντε την Αμερική Σπουδαία Ξανά – Make America Great Again] Trump has criticized the funding provided by the US to Ukraine.

Following Trump’s announcement that the US will resume weapons to Ukraine, several conservative Americans reacted with frustration.

“I didn’t vote in favor,” Derik Evans wrote on X on July 8. Evans was one of Trump’s supporters who invaded the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 and was arrested to be given by Trump in January this year.

The conservative twin social media and Kevin Hodge wrote on X on July 8: “Who in the good tells Trump that we have to send more weapons to Ukraine?”

(New?) Sanctions in Russia

When asked on July 8th about his interest in a Congress bill proposing additional sanctions to Russia, Trump replied: “I consider it very seriously.”

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the US and their allies have imposed at least 21,692 sanctions on Russian individuals, media and institutions in sectors such as the army, energy, aviation, shipbuilding industry and telecommunications.

However, while these sanctions have affected Russia’s economy, it has not collapsed as some analysts had predicted in the first months of the war.

In recent months, Zelenski has repeatedly asked his allies in the West to tighten sanctions in Russia, to put pressure on Putin to end the war.

“Sanctions must be strengthened. We expect the adoption of a new sanctions package. Everything that will put pressure on Russia and stop it must be applied as soon as possible, ”Zelenski said in a report on X.

A Senate’s inter -party bill, backed by Republican Senator Lindsay Graham, aims to impose tariffs on countries that import oil, gas and uranium from Russia.

In 2023, crude oil, gas and refined oil were almost 54% of total Russian exports, according to the Observatory for Economic Complexity (OEC).

According to OEC, China and India buy most of Russia’s oil and gas products.

In 2024, Russian oil represented 35% of India’s total crude oil imports and 19% of China oil imports. Turkey also imports Russian oil, with 58% of refined oil imports coming from Russia in 2023.

But the West has not been weaned by Russia.

In 2024, European countries paid more than $ 700 million to buy Russian uranium products, according to a Bruegel -based Brussels -based analysis, based on European Union Statistical Service Eurostat.

At the end of March of this year, Trump expressed his anger at Putin and threatened with “secondary duties” in any country buying Russian oil if no ceasefire is reached, but these duties were not imposed.

“If a new sanctions bill is voted on and the United States is imposing sanctions on Moscow for the first time during the current government, this would be a radical divergence from Trump’s so far,” Jiles said.

“It remains to be seen whether Trump will indeed allow this, or if his submission to Putin means he will continue to resist any countermeasures against Moscow.”

‘It’s not our war’

On April 18, US Secretary of State Rubio said his country could “go” no longer dealing with the Russian-Ukraine war if no ceasefire is reached.

“We are now reaching a point where we have to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters in Paris after talks between Americans, Ukrainian and European officials.

“Because if it is not, then I think we will just move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities we need to focus on, “Rubio continued.

On the same day, Trump reiterated Rubio’s statements to reporters. However, Trump did not say he was ready to leave the peace negotiations.

“Well, I don’t want to say that, but we want to see it ending (the war),” Trump said.

More diplomacy

The second day of talks between Rubio and Lavrov, however, suggests that the US has not yet left the diplomatic route.

Rubio told reporters on Thursday that the US and Russia have exchanged new ideas for peace in Ukraine. “I think it’s a new and different approach,” Rubio observed, without giving details of what the “new approach” includes.

“I wouldn’t describe it as something that guarantees peace, but it’s a plan you know I will convey to the president,” Rubio added.

Following the meeting of Rubio and Lavrov on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press release that the US and Russia had “a meaningful and sincere exchange of views on settlement in Ukraine” and will continue the constructive dialogue.

The statement added: ‘[Η Ρωσία και οι ΗΠΑ] They have confirmed the mutual commitment to seeking peaceful solutions in conflict situations and the resumption of Russia-US economic and humanitarian cooperation. “