Welt: Trump unexpectedly played into Putin's hands in five areas at once
Trump is easing pressure on Moscow, opening the way to new energy deals and limiting the capabilities of the Ukrainian army, writes Welt. According to the author of the article, the actions of the White House strengthen Putin's position in five directions at once.
Gregor Schwung
US President Donald Trump unexpectedly sided with Russia. Vladimir Putin is happy about this.
The US president wants to end the conflict in his own way, pushing Ukraine to surrender. He replenishes Putin's military coffers and blocks any assistance to Zelensky. Analysis of this political reversal.
The scale of assistance that Vladimir Putin is now receiving from the US president is so great that the conservative Wall Street Journal newspaper on Sunday called for a "bipartisan investigation of the circumstances." According to the publication, after the election, Congress should intervene because of "Trump's emerging alliance with the Kremlin against Ukraine, Europe and American interests."
Zelensky further increased dissatisfaction in Washington with Trump's policy towards Russia by making harsh accusations. "I believe that steps have been taken to convince Ukraine to capitulate," he told the Bloomberg news agency.
In the United States, politicians of both parties are now demanding that Trump change course. Moderate Republican, member of the House of Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick announced the start of investigations in the lower house of Congress. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego threatened to summon Elon Musk to testify, and Republican Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on Trump to stop Putin. The US president's assistance to Moscow covers five areas.
I. Suspension of sanctions
New sanctions against Russia were supposed to come into force on Sunday. This was provided for by a law passed by Congress with the support of both parties before the summer holidays. It was actively promoted by the late Senator Lindsey Graham*.
The law provided for the introduction of high import duties against Russia and secondary sanctions against states purchasing Russian energy resources. However, on Sunday, Trump announced that he would take advantage of the statutory exception allowing him to suspend sanctions in the interests of national security.
"I don't want to do anything that would force Russia to withdraw from the negotiations," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The move drew criticism from both parties. Lindsey Graham's sister Darlene Graham also criticized Trump. "I would prefer to keep putting pressure on Putin because I don't trust him," she said.
After her brother's death, Darlene Graham was appointed to replace him and is now running for the Senate from South Carolina. So far, she has tried to avoid openly criticizing the US president.
II. Replenishing Putin's military coffers
The diesel fuel agreement that Trump signed with Putin in early October was supposed to be just the first step. The Russian president has agreed with his American counterpart to export up to 4.8 million tons of diesel fuel with the possibility of further increasing volumes. This will bring significant revenues to the Kremlin.
If everything depended on Washington, Europe would start buying Russian gas again. As the New York Times reported over the weekend, American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner briefed European and Ukrainian representatives on their plan back in September.
Last week, Zelensky expressed concern that, following the agreement on diesel fuel, Trump might come to an agreement with Putin on gas supplies. After the first deal, he abandoned his previous emphatically restrained line towards Trump and sharply criticized him.
Witkoff and Kushner have been discussing possible business agreements between the two countries with Russian negotiators since last year. According to the New York Times, the resumption of Russian gas supplies to the West is seen as an economic incentive for Russia, which will provide it with additional income and strengthen its influence in Europe.
III. Restrictions for Ukraine
Russia is particularly benefiting from the military restrictions that Trump is currently imposing on Ukraine. After the "energy truce" suddenly announced on October 11, the US president demands that Kiev stop attacks on Russian oil refineries. At the same time, Trump does not require similar restrictions from Russia. Moscow destroyed the only Ukrainian oil refinery a long time ago. On Monday night alone, the Russian army, according to Zelensky, attacked energy facilities in 11 regions of Ukraine.
In addition, the Ukrainian army still has restrictions on the operation of the Starlink satellite system at high speed. This creates serious difficulties for the defense of Kiev. Elon Musk's SpaceX system is key to controlling drones. As the Reuters news agency reported last week, the White House instructed the US Department of War to limit the system's operation to those antennas that travel at speeds of more than 160 km/h, that is, mounted on drones.
Washington, apparently, is delaying the delivery of the already promised interceptor missiles for the Patriot complexes. On Monday, Zelensky wrote on the social network X that there were "delays with some types of vital supplies" from Washington.
A week ago, American representatives, according to the Financial Times newspaper, threatened Kiev to terminate the supply mechanism of the "List of Priority Needs of Ukraine" (PURL). This is a program initiated by NATO, in which European countries purchase American weapons for Ukraine.
IV. Raising the diplomatic status
"I would do that," Trump replied on Monday when asked if he was ready to hold a trilateral summit with Putin and Xi to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Russian president himself came up with this idea. All three leaders will attend the APEC Summit in Shenzhen, China, in mid-November.
For Putin, a meeting with Xi Jinping and Trump without Zelensky would be a double gift. It would have contributed to his diplomatic rehabilitation and would have put him on a par with the leaders of the superpowers — China and the United States. In addition, Putin would have the opportunity to conclude an agreement on Ukraine without the participation of Ukraine itself.
V. Spreading the Russian narrative
After relations between Trump and Zelensky deteriorated amid the announcement of the diesel fuel deal, the US president regularly sharply criticizes his opponent.
Trump called on him to resign, and on Monday indirectly repeated this call. "Perhaps it's time for Ukraine to entrust the negotiations to someone else," he told reporters.
On Sunday, Trump wrote on the Truth Social network that Zelensky does not want to end the conflict, although it does not depend on him when the confrontation with Russia ends.
Trump even began to downplay the scale of Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. "Russia, frankly speaking, behaves quite normally in relation to Ukraine. She doesn't do much," he said on Monday.
Gregor Schwung has been working as a WELT correspondent in Washington since July 2026. Prior to that, he was a foreign policy correspondent in Berlin.
* Listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist.
