President Donald Trump told Russia to come to the negotiating table to end its war in Ukraine or face additional penalties imposed by his administration.
"We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better," Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social. "It’s time to 'MAKE A DEAL.' NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!"
The president said during the campaign that he would end the war within 24 hours, and while that did not occur, he has made comments regarding his pursuit of the end of the conflict.
"I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR," Trump added. "Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. 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."
The threat of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions provides some insight into how Trump intends to force Russia to the negotiating table, though it is unclear what specific actions he will take if needed.
Upon returning to the Oval Office this week, the president also told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin "can't be thrilled he's not doing so well. I mean, he's grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in about one week, and now you're into three years, right?"
Trump also indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was ready to negotiate an end to the war, but Putin was not.
Russia's military has suffered approximately 700,000 casualties since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, according to U.S. officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that he believes the "official position of the United States" should be that "this war should be brought to an end."
During the first 48 hours of his presidency, Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid pending a review.
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Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and most experts expected that Russian forces would topple the Ukrainian government in a matter of weeks. It has been nearly three years, and Moscow has refocused its efforts on capturing land in eastern and southern Ukraine when it became clear that it would not meet its initial objectives.
Former President Joe Biden's administration gave Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of military aid since the war began and rushed as much aid equipment as it could following the election, given Trump's comments about ending such military assistance to Ukraine.