The president framed his threat as part of his effort to forge a cease-fire and permanent peace deal in Ukraine. He later defended Russia’s overnight attacks on Ukraine.
The president framed his threat as part of his effort to forge a cease-fire and permanent peace deal in Ukraine. He later defended Russia’s overnight attacks on Ukraine. The president framed his threat as part of his effort to forge a cease-fire and permanent peace deal in Ukraine. He later defended Russia’s overnight attacks on Ukraine.
President Trump said on Friday that he was “strongly considering” imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire and permanent peace deal was reached in its war with Ukraine.
In his announcement, which was posted on his social media site, Truth Social, Mr. Trump said he was “strongly considering” imposing what he described as “large scale” sanctions, including on banks, because of the perilous state of the war, now in its fourth year.
His post came as Russia unleashed a furious bombardment aimed at critical Ukrainian infrastructure overnight on Thursday and on Friday. Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko, said Russian forces launched a “massive missile and drone” assault on power and gas facilities across the country.
“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,” Mr. Trump wrote. “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late.”
New sanctions would be the latest turnabout for Mr. Trump’s management of the war in Ukraine. He has spent weeks aligning himself with President Vladimir V. Putin’s narrative of the war, criticizing Ukraine for being invaded by Russia, and accusing President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine of being the “dictator” who didn’t want peace.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelensky have spent recent days smoothing over tensions after an explosive Oval Office meeting last week, which resulted in Mr. Zelensky’s leaving the White House without signing a deal that would grant the United States a share of its revenues from mining rare earth metals.