Putin allies' fury at Trump's sanctions on two oil giants

CLOSE allies of Vladimir Putin say Donald Trump is on the warpath after the US imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil producers who fund the despot's military.

- BY CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

The US president had for weeks signalled he could impose penalties against Moscow for its continuation of the war, but had failed to take major punitive measures.

But on Wednesday, the White House issued the sanctions after Trump cancelled a meeting with Putin in Budapest, saying: "It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get."