Stony silence from Moscow after Trump turns on Russia, says talks with Putin 'don't go anywhere'

There was a stony soundlessness from Moscow a time aft the U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and slapped punishing sanctions connected Russia's 2 largest lipid companies.

Just days aft a "very productive" telephone telephone betwixt the 2 leaders — successful which they agreed to conscionable successful Hungary and aft which the U.S. president appeared to instrumentality Russia's broadside regarding a imaginable bid woody with Ukraine — Trump changed tack connected Wednesday, voicing his vexation with Moscow.

"We canceled the gathering with President Putin. It just, it didn't consciousness close to meet. It didn't consciousness similar we were going to get to the spot we person to get. So I canceled it, but we'll bash it successful the future," Trump said Wednesday.

"Every clip I talk to Vladimir, I person bully conversations and past they don't spell anywhere. They conscionable don't spell anywhere," Trump added, flanked by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, with whom helium had discussed bid proposals for Ukraine.

Trump's comments connected Putin were notably wide absent from pro-Kremlin authorities media outlets specified arsenic TASS, Radio Sputnik and RIA Novosti's quality sum connected Thursday, with hardly a notation of the disapproval oregon canceled meeting.

Just a time before, Russian authorities media — essentially, the mouthpiece of the Kremlin — had been bullish that planned talks betwixt Putin and Trump that were owed to beryllium held successful Hungary, but which had been postponed by the White House, would spell ahead.

The Kremlin and assorted elder Russian officials had blamed "fake news" for undermining the Trump-Putin acme but the White House appeared to person enactment the talks connected clasp aft Russia reiterated its presumption that it did not enactment an contiguous ceasefire successful Ukraine.

The sanctions connected Lukoil and Rosneft, and dozens of subsidiaries, are aimed astatine pressuring Moscow, which has funded its 3 and a fractional twelvemonth warfare successful Ukraine utilizing revenues derived from planetary lipid sales, to hold to a ceasefire, the U.S. Treasury said.

The Treasury Department said the caller sanctions volition harm the Kremlin's quality to rise gross to money its warfare against Ukraine.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said his section "is prepared to instrumentality further enactment if indispensable to enactment President Trump's effort to extremity yet different war," Bessent said. "We promote our allies to articulation america successful and adhere to these sanctions."

The EU connected Thursday also launched a caller rounds of sanctions against Russia. The bundle of measures, which subordinate states approved connected Wednesday evening, includes a prohibition connected Russian liquefied earthy state (LNG) imports.

Kaja Kallas, the EU's precocious typical for overseas affairs and information policy, and vice president of the European Commission, told CNBC Thursday that the caller sanctions are "a bully awesome of spot that the U.S. is putting sanctions connected large Russian lipid companies. It's truly depriving Russia of the means to money this war. It's indispensable to extremity this war."