WASHINGTON — After weeks of distancing the U.S. from Ukraine, President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose expanded “large scale” sanctions and tariffs on Russia until it reaches a peace agreement with Ukraine.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
While speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Friday afternoon, however, Trump said the U.S. was “doing well” with Russia and that he was “finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine.”
“They don’t have the cards,” Trump said of Kyiv. “In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia which is surprising, because they have all the problems, and they’re bombing the hell out of ’em right now.”
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Asked if he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking advantage of the U.S., Trump said he doesn’t think so and feels the Russian leader wants to put an end to the war and reach a settlement.
“I actually think he’s doing what anybody else would do,” Trump said in response to the question from NBC News’ Peter Alexander. “I think he’s hitting them harder than he’s been hitting him, and I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now.”
Trump said he would talk “at length” with Putin about Ukraine, maintaining that Russia would never have invaded had he remained in office and blaming Biden.
Trump also addressed his administration’s decision to halt military aid and intelligence help to Ukraine and was asking what Ukraine will do if they run out of resources.
“I have to know that they want to settle. I don’t know that they want to settle. If they don’t want to settle, we’re out of there because we want them to settle and I’m doing it to stop death,” said Trump, who then suggested that Europe needs to ramp up its contributions to Ukraine, “I watched over the last week or so what’s going on in Europe. This thing could end up in World War III if we don’t get it settled.”
National security adviser Mike Waltz added that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio plan to meet with a Ukrainian delegation next week in Saudi Arabia “to get these talks back on track” to reach a cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump’s sanctions threat against Russia comes a week after an intense Oval Office clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy scuttled hopes for a much-anticipated rare earth minerals deal. The meeting added to growing concerns that U.S. policy toward Russia was softening and set off a scramble in Europe about who would fill the void if the U.S. pulled its support of Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday seemed to preview additional sanctions on Russia in remarks before the Economic Club of New York. He said that the Trump administration has kept enhanced sanctions on Russia in place and is prepared to go “all in” if it would “provide leverage in peace negotiations.”
“Per President Trump’s guidance, sanctions will be used explicitly and aggressively for immediate maximum impact,” Bessent said.
Bessent also accused the Biden administration of imposing “weak sanctions” on Russia’s energy sector, which he said played a “major factor in the Russian war machine’s continued financing.” Bessent charged that Biden took a softer approach to sanctions due to “worries about upward pressure on U.S. energy prices during an election season.”
Bessent also claimed that the Biden administration lifted U.S. sanctions on Russia in January, but it’s unclear what he was referring to. Ten days before Trump’s inauguration, the Treasury Department implemented sweeping sanctions on Russia’s energy sector and there’s no evidence that the U.S. eased sanctions.
The Treasury Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a post on Telegram Friday, Zelenskyy called for a truce in the air and at sea after Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine overnight against the country’s energy infrastructure.
“In total, the Russians launched nearly 70 missiles, both cruise and ballistic, as well as almost 200 attack drones,” Zelenskyy said. “All of this was directed at infrastructure that ensures normal life. Repair and restoration work is already underway wherever needed. Unfortunately, there is also damage to residential buildings.”
“Ukraine is ready to take the path to peace, and Ukraine has wanted peace from the very first second of this war. The goal is to force Russia to stop the war,” he said.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was able to defend its airspace using F-16 aircraft and Mirage-2000 jets provided by France. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron reassured Ukraine that Europe will continue to defend it against Russian aggression even if the U.S. chooses not to continue its assistance.
