WSJ: Trump had three options for sanctions against Russia, chose the middle one

U.S. President Donald Trump had three options for sanctions against Russia, the Wall Street Journal .

reported on Thursday

The sources said that Trump had a tough option on the table with sanctions against Russian industry and the country's top leadership, a medium option with sanctions against Russia's energy sector, and a softer option with limited sanctions. He chose the second option with sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil .

All three packages of sanctions were prepared in advance and had been waiting for Trump's decision for several months.

The decision was made after the president's patience wore thin with the lack of progress in talks with Putin. According to officials, Trump concluded that Putin was leading him by the nose while continuing to shell Ukraine.

Right after Trump canceled his planned summit with Putin in Budapest, calling it a waste of time, Russia launched new missile and drone strikes in Ukraine, including on a kindergarten in Kharkiv .

The US president did not comment on the strikes, but administration officials said he was outraged by them.

According to WSJ sources, Trump believes that the ceasefire in Gaza, which he helped broker, has created the conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, but Putin continues to resist.

"The question now is whether we're seeing a real change in Trump's strategy, or just a temporary move to show frustration with the Russians not engaging in any diplomatic cooperation at all," said Andrew Weiss, vice president for research at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

• White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said that Trump imposed sanctions on Russia right now because does not see enough interest from Russia to end the war against Ukraine.