WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump wants to see “action, not just talk” from Russia before sitting down for a postponed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House has said.
Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Leavitt said the President was determined to ensure that any meeting with Putin would be “a good use of his time.”
“The President wants to make sure that a meeting between himself and President Putin will be a good use of his time… He wants to see action, not just talk,” Leavitt said. “The President is extremely motivated by the success of his Middle East peace deal to get things done. And he wants this war to end. He’s been saying it for nine months now, since taking office, and he’s grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress.”
The Russia–US summit, initially proposed by Washington, was expected to take place in Budapest but has now been postponed. Russian President Putin confirmed the delay, saying the plan had been discussed during a recent phone call between the two leaders.
Meanwhile, Putin criticized Washington’s continued use of sanctions, saying such measures would not achieve their intended goals. He also accused “certain people in the US administration” of pushing restrictions on Russian oil exports, questioning whose interests they serve.
The new sanctions freeze all US-based assets of two Russian companies and prohibit American individuals and entities from doing business with them. According to the US Treasury Department, the move aims to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its war operations and further weaken its economy.
Putin, however, said that despite differences, Moscow and Washington still have “many areas in which they could cooperate,” urging both sides to abandon pressure tactics and engage in “serious, long-term dialogue.”
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