President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, urging him to reach a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine “now” or face the consequences of increased tariffs and further sanctions.
This ultimatum, delivered via Trump’s Truth Social network on Wednesday, signals a significant shift in tone from the US president, who has previously expressed admiration for Putin and his leadership.
“No choice” but to impose tariffs and sanctions
“If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries,” Trump wrote in his post.
This declaration marks a significant escalation in rhetoric, putting direct pressure on Putin to engage in negotiations.
A shift in tone but with underlying admiration
Despite the strong warning, Trump noted that he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and that he has “always had a very good relationship with President Putin,” a leader for whom he has expressed admiration in the past, underscoring the complex dynamics and contradictory messaging that is characteristic of the new administration.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.”
Harder line than previous statements
Trump’s statement on Wednesday signals a hardening of his position compared to a press conference on Tuesday, when he said that it “sounds likely” that he would apply additional sanctions if Putin did not come to the negotiating table, a much less direct position than that which he took the following day.
However, during the press conference Trump also declined to confirm that he would continue his predecessor Joe Biden’s policy of sending weapons to Ukraine, and stated, “We’re looking at that. We’re talking to (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky, we’re going to be talking to President Putin very soon,” suggesting a potential shift in US foreign policy.
Trump vows to end Ukraine war quickly
Prior to his inauguration, Trump had pledged to end the war in Ukraine before even taking office, leading to the expectation that he would leverage aid to force Kyiv to make concessions to Moscow.
In unusually critical remarks of Putin on Monday, Trump stated that the Russian leader was “destroying Russia by not making a deal,” further highlighting the increased pressure being placed on the Russian President.
Trump also stated that Zelensky had told him that he was in favor of a peace agreement to end the war, adding another level of complexity to the situation.
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