Trump threatens Russia with sanctions, tariffs
In a post on Truth Social, Trump exerted pressure on a nation that has largely encountered minimal public opposition from his administration.
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President Donald Trump expressed that he is “strongly considering” implementing large-scale sanctions and tariffs on Russia to initiate a ceasefire and facilitate a settlement deal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump directed pressure toward Russia, a country that has experienced minimal public criticism from his administration. Trump and his associates have refrained from blaming Russia for instigating the war in Ukraine, maintaining that he has a positive rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” Trump stated.
Global leaders across Europe have grown increasingly worried about the U.S. aligning with the Kremlin. Recently, Trump had a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and has since curtailed some U.S. assistance to the Eastern European nation.
On Friday, Russian forces launched an extensive barrage of missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, marking the first such offensive since U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine ceased. Zelenskyy responded with a strong message aimed at Russia.
"The first steps to establishing real peace should be forcing the sole source of this war, Russia, to stop such attacks," Zelenskyy remarked on the Telegram messaging app.
The impending sanctions coincide with plans by senior Trump administration officials, including national security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to meet with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week.
Ending the war in Ukraine has been a primary focus of Trump’s foreign policy since he took office, although the pressure has predominantly been directed at Zelenskyy. Trump has referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and incorrectly claimed that Ukraine was the aggressor in the conflict initiated by Russia.
Later, Trump seemed to retract his comments about the Ukrainian leader just before a meeting where they were set to sign a rare earth minerals deal aimed at sharing economic benefits between Ukraine and the U.S.
However, that troubling meeting in the Oval Office resulted in failed negotiations, leaving the minerals agreement unratified. Zelenskyy has since reiterated his commitment to peace, stating he is “ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” in a post on X this past Tuesday.
During his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Trump moderated his tone towards the Ukrainian wartime leader, citing Zelenskyy’s “important letter” that expressed appreciation and advocated for the resumption of negotiations.
Despite this, Trump ended military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this week, prompting European leaders to convene an emergency summit in Brussels to discuss military support for Ukraine.
Trump's recent threats against Russia arrived a day after he questioned U.S. commitments to NATO. In remarks to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump indicated he would reconsider defending NATO allies if they failed to adequately fund their own militaries.
“Well, I think it’s common sense,” Trump said. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump directed pressure toward Russia, a country that has experienced minimal public criticism from his administration. Trump and his associates have refrained from blaming Russia for instigating the war in Ukraine, maintaining that he has a positive rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” Trump stated.
Global leaders across Europe have grown increasingly worried about the U.S. aligning with the Kremlin. Recently, Trump had a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office and has since curtailed some U.S. assistance to the Eastern European nation.
On Friday, Russian forces launched an extensive barrage of missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, marking the first such offensive since U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine ceased. Zelenskyy responded with a strong message aimed at Russia.
"The first steps to establishing real peace should be forcing the sole source of this war, Russia, to stop such attacks," Zelenskyy remarked on the Telegram messaging app.
The impending sanctions coincide with plans by senior Trump administration officials, including national security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to meet with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week.
Ending the war in Ukraine has been a primary focus of Trump’s foreign policy since he took office, although the pressure has predominantly been directed at Zelenskyy. Trump has referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and incorrectly claimed that Ukraine was the aggressor in the conflict initiated by Russia.
Later, Trump seemed to retract his comments about the Ukrainian leader just before a meeting where they were set to sign a rare earth minerals deal aimed at sharing economic benefits between Ukraine and the U.S.
However, that troubling meeting in the Oval Office resulted in failed negotiations, leaving the minerals agreement unratified. Zelenskyy has since reiterated his commitment to peace, stating he is “ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts,” in a post on X this past Tuesday.
During his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Trump moderated his tone towards the Ukrainian wartime leader, citing Zelenskyy’s “important letter” that expressed appreciation and advocated for the resumption of negotiations.
Despite this, Trump ended military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine earlier this week, prompting European leaders to convene an emergency summit in Brussels to discuss military support for Ukraine.
Trump's recent threats against Russia arrived a day after he questioned U.S. commitments to NATO. In remarks to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump indicated he would reconsider defending NATO allies if they failed to adequately fund their own militaries.
“Well, I think it’s common sense,” Trump said. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them.”
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
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