White House names condition for Trump-Putin meeting
23 October 22:56
The administration of US President Donald Trump has said that a meeting with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin can only take place if it yields “a concrete and positive result.” This was stated by White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
According to her, Trump wants “action, not just talk” from the head of the Russian regime.
“The president is extremely motivated by the success of his peace deal in the Middle East. And he wants this war (in Ukraine – ed.) to end. He’s been saying that for nine months now, being in office,” Levitt summarized.
The White House does not rule out a meeting between Trump and Putin, provided it has a “positive outcome” pic.twitter.com/4VCXyUTQ5W
– Maxim (@lipcansmaks1) October 23, 2025
Why it matters
Trump has been in office for nine months, and one of the main themes of his foreign policy is to end the war in Ukraine.
This position may indicate a new US diplomatic strategy: an attempt to engage Russia in negotiations on the West’s terms.
What could be the terms of the meeting?
Experts suggest that the White House demands that the Kremlin
- de-escalation of the situation on the frontline in Ukraine;
- readiness for real peace agreements;
- abandonment of ultimatum rhetoric.
In other words, the United States will not agree to negotiations for the sake of the process itself – Moscow’s position is expected to change.
It is worth noting that US President Donald Trump has officially withdrawn from the planned summit in Budapest, where he was to meet with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin.
The US president emphasized that he does not intend to “waste his time” if Russia is not ready to take real steps toward him.
Sanctions instead of negotiations
Immediately after Trump’s announcement, the US Treasury Department unveiled a new package of sanctions against Russia. The blacklist includes Russia’s largest oil companies, which provide the main revenues to the Russian budget.
The sanctions are aimed at the two largest oil companies in Russia – Rosneft and Lukoil.
These companies are included in the sanctions list in accordance with US Presidential Decree 14024 due to their activities in the energy sector of the Russian Federation.
The sanctions list also includes 30 subsidiaries of Rosneft and Lukoil. All companies in which Rosneft or Lukoil have a 50% or more stake, directly or indirectly, face blocking, even if they are not on the official list.
What it means
The United States is increasing pressure on the Kremlin in response to Russia’s aggressive policy.
The White House is signaling that there will be no negotiations without concrete concessions from Moscow.
Oil sanctions can significantly affect the Russian economy, which is critically dependent on energy exports.
