"Putin is a professional." Trump acknowledged Russia's ability to resist sanctions

US President Donald Trump acknowledged that Russia is coping with the sanctions imposed against it.

Speaking to journalists on board the plane, he said that he had discussed the issue of restrictions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a recent conversation. "I wouldn't say that he [Putin] is inspired by them... He managed to cope with sanctions. He understands that sanctions may follow, he is a professional," the head of the White House noted.

Trump also assured that he treats Russia more harshly than other countries, including Iran.

The US has lifted sanctions on some Russian assets and is preparing to introduce new restrictions

On July 2, Trump lifted sanctions on some Russian assets. In particular, the Russian Financial Alliance bank, owned by former President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, disappeared from the sanctions list. Restrictions were also lifted on Tempbank, RFK-Bank, and the Iranian Mir Business Bank. Sanctions were lifted for Promsyremport, Global Concepts Groups, Rosoboronexport, Global Vision Group, STG Logistics, Maritime Assistance, and others.

On June 29, Senator Lindsey Graham (included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring) said that Trump is ready to introduce new restrictions against Russia. According to him, this is a project of “devastating sanctions,” according to which the United States will impose 500 percent tariffs on Russia’s trade partners. “Yesterday, for the first time, the president told me, when we were playing golf, that it was time to move forward [on sanctions],” the politician said.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, called on Washington to realize that Russia has already adapted to the sanctions pressure. "In reality, this primarily hits the initiators of anti-Russian policy. In the West, some measures and restrictions are endlessly being churn out, and there is a stream of measures being taken against our country," the diplomat noted.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow had taken note of Graham's statement about Trump's alleged desire to impose new sanctions against Russia. At the same time, the official noted that increasing sanctions pressure is unlikely to lead to any constructive results in resolving the Ukrainian crisis.

Trump's Toughening Rhetoric Explained

Political scientist Sergei Markov believes that Trump has toughened his rhetoric towards Putin because he is unhappy with the results of his last telephone conversation with him. The main stumbling block is Iran - Moscow and Washington cannot agree on the issues of the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile programs.

The Ukrainian issue, according to Markov, is also not removed from the agenda. The US President continues to offer Russia an unconditional truce with Ukraine, which is "absolutely disadvantageous" to Moscow.

American journalist and academic Jill Dougherty concluded that Putin managed to surprise Trump. She pointed out that the Russian leader is an experienced politician who has been in power for a quarter of a century and “knows how to manipulate.” According to the journalist, Putin “has laid out what he wants, and he will find a way to get it” by force or negotiations. “That’s his style,” Dougherty said, noting that she was not at all surprised by how easily he outplayed the White House occupant.