US President Donald Trump intensified the pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine on Wednesday, warning of stricter economic actions if Moscow does not consent to end the conflict.
Trump’s warning, shared in a Truth Social message, came as the Republican aims for a swift resolution to a protracted war that he promised to conclude even before commencing his second term.
“If we don’t make a ‘deal’ soon, I will have no choice but to impose high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on any goods sold from Russia to the United States and the other participating nations,” Trump stated.
Trump mentioned that he was “not looking to harm Russia” and has “always maintained a very good relationship with President Putin,” a leader he has expressed admiration for in the past.
“Despite all that, I’m going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin a very big FAVOR. Resolve this now, and END this foolish War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.”
He continued: “Let’s put an end to this war, which would never have started if I were President, right now! We can do it easily, or we can do it the hard way – and the easy way is always preferable. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’”
Russia is already facing severe US sanctions related to the conflict since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and trade has diminished significantly. Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden’s administration recently imposed extensive sanctions against Moscow’s energy sector.
However, Trump—a billionaire known for his book “The Art of the Deal”—and his administration reportedly believe there are ways to strengthen measures to pressure Putin further.
During a White House press briefing on Tuesday, Trump merely stated that it “sounds likely” he would implement additional sanctions if Putin did not engage in negotiations.
The US president, however, refrained from committing to continuing Biden’s policy of supplying billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine.
“We’re evaluating that,” he mentioned at the press conference. “We’re in discussions with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky, and we will be talking to President Putin very soon.”
Trump also indicated that he anticipates meeting with Putin, with whom he had a summit during his first term in Helsinki, shortly.
Before his inauguration on Monday, Trump asserted he would end the Ukraine war “within 24 hours” and even before taking office, raising hopes he would leverage aid to compel Kyiv to concede territory to Moscow.
Yet his anticipated breakthrough has remained out of reach. In unusually critical comments regarding Putin on Monday, Trump stated the Russian leader was “ruining Russia by failing to make a deal.”
Trump added that Zelensky had informed him he desired a peace agreement to conclude the war. Putin congratulated Trump on Monday for his inauguration for a second term.
The Russian president expressed he was “open to dialogue” regarding the Ukraine conflict with Trump’s incoming US administration and added that he hoped any resolution would lead to “lasting peace.”
Trump has consistently praised Putin, whose hyper-masculine demeanor and professed commitment to traditional values have increasingly appealed to certain US Christian conservatives.
US special counsel Robert Mueller and the FBI both looked into allegations of collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign—which Trump referred to again in his post on Wednesday as the “Russia hoax.”
Mueller secured convictions of six members of the Trump campaign but stated he found no evidence of illegal collaboration with Russia by the Trump campaign.
