European leaders have managed to persuade U. S. President Donald Trump to reassess his stance toward Russia, Politico reported. According to the outlet, Trump is now prepared to put pressure on Moscow in an effort to force negotiations with Kiev.

The publication noted that Trump also signaled readiness to back new sanctions against Russia. One EU diplomat told Politico that the shift meant «Trump is finally on our side," though the challenge would be aligning different strategies. Another European official added that member states intend to discuss with Washington ways to «hit» Moscow, but stressed that concrete steps still need to be coordinated with what the paper described as an «unpredictable» White House.

Until now, Trump had repeatedly argued against tightening sanctions on Russia. U. S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the president’s main objective remained ending the conflict in Ukraine. Trump himself has said that what blocks real dialogue is the hostility he sees between the Russian and Ukrainian leadership.