U. S. President Donald Trump’s recent change of tone toward Ukraine may have been driven by personal emotions, particularly irritation over how Western media portrayed his August summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Politico reported, citing informed sources.

According to the publication, headlines describing the meeting as «Putin’s triumph» reportedly infuriated Trump. One source told the outlet that the U.S. leader felt he gained no tangible political benefit from the encounter — neither during the talks nor afterward.

Politico noted that Trump’s rhetoric was further influenced by Putin’s joint visit to China with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in September. The president was also said to be frustrated by the behavior of Ukrainian officials.

The article cited sources as saying that since the start of the conflict, President Vladimir Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, had become accustomed to being treated like global celebrities. When Trump entered the scene, he allegedly made it clear that «there’s room for only one diva — and that’s me», which reportedly led to a heated exchange in the Oval Office.