Trump Running Out of Patience with Russia Over Ukraine War

After months of measured diplomacy, President Donald Trump is signaling growing frustration with Russia’s handling of efforts to end the war in Ukraine—threatening fresh sanctions and warning Moscow of serious consequences if it continues to stall peace efforts.

Despite early optimism and claims that peace was within reach, more than two months into his second term, Trump has yet to broker the full ceasefire he promised. While Ukraine has signaled its readiness for a comprehensive truce, Russia has only agreed to limited pauses in fighting, including halting strikes on energy infrastructure—though even those have been inconsistently upheld.

Negotiations last week between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia failed to produce an agreement on halting naval clashes in the Black Sea. Russia instead conditioned progress on the West lifting restrictions on its food and fertilizer exports and easing select sanctions—an offer Washington and its allies rejected.

Frustration inside the White House is reportedly mounting.

After a private meeting and golf outing with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on March 29, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told reporters the U.S. leader appeared “increasingly impatient” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “When you spend seven hours with someone, you get a pretty good sense of where they’re headed,” Stubb said.

Stubb, who also recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Helsinki and met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has emerged as a key European figure in pushing for transatlantic unity on Ukraine. Like Starmer, he argues that engagement—not confrontation—with Trump is the best way to ensure continued U.S. support for Kyiv.

“We’re seeing Russia stall a partial ceasefire, and I think President Trump is losing patience,” Stubb said. “That’s a good sign for those of us trying to keep negotiations moving forward.”

He urged that any peace deal come with firm deadlines and penalties for violations, proposing April 20—Trump’s 3-month mark in office—as a deadline for Russia to commit to a full ceasefire. “If they refuse or obstruct, there need to be consequences—and the strongest possible sanctions,” he said.

Trump himself showed signs of a harder tone. In a March 30 interview with NBC News, the president said he was “very angry” over Putin’s recent remarks questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy. “That took things in the wrong direction,” Trump said.

The Kremlin last week suggested Ukraine should install a temporary UN-overseen government to negotiate peace, arguing Zelensky’s term had expired. Trump dismissed the idea, calling it a “delay tactic.”

In a rare public threat, Trump also floated the idea of “secondary sanctions” on countries that continue buying Russian oil, warning: “If I think Russia is standing in the way of peace, I will sanction every drop of oil they sell.”

According to Glen Howard, president of the Saratoga Policy Foundation in Washington, the shift in tone suggests Trump’s frustration with Moscow is real—and growing. Trump’s March 29 post on Truth Social referred to the “Russian war” and emphasized China's influence, tying both to U.S. strategic interests in Greenland.

That marked a clear contrast from his earlier stance. During February peace talks in Riyadh, Trump had blamed Ukraine for starting the war—rejecting the Western consensus that Russia was the aggressor.

As recently as early March, Trump had said he believed Putin wanted peace and described Russia as “easier to deal with” than Ukraine.

Now, officials say Trump has conveyed his dissatisfaction to Moscow and is planning another call with Putin. His proposal for secondary oil sanctions, which would punish any country buying Russian crude with steep tariffs, could have major implications for global markets.

“If you buy Russian oil, you can’t do business in the United States,” Trump told NBC, adding that penalties could range from 25% to 50%. He did not elaborate on enforcement.

Energy exports are a lifeline for Russia’s economy. Oil and gas revenues make up over 30% of the Kremlin’s budget. Sanctioning oil buyers—rather than just Russian firms—would be a bold escalation.

Edward Fishman, a former State Department official who oversaw sanctions policy, said hitting Russia’s oil sector directly could succeed where previous Western sanctions have failed. “If Trump is serious about pressuring Moscow, going after its oil revenues is the clearest path,” he said.

With global oil prices down and signs of oversupply, analysts say Trump may see an opening to hit Russian oil without spiking prices. Brent crude recently hovered around $70 per barrel, well below early-year highs.

But experts warn that such sanctions would only work if major buyers like India and China believe Trump is serious—and are willing to risk their access to U.S. markets.

“They need a reason to cooperate,” Fishman said. “Right now, it’s not clear they have one.”

(Sources: WSJ, Guardian, NBC News)

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