President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to put additional sanctions and tariffs on Russia in a push to get Moscow to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine.
The president's comment comes after several weeks of remarks and attitudes that appeared to demonstrate a friendlier posture toward Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"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," he said on Truth Social. "To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!"
Trump provided additional insights into his thinking about ending the war in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon.
“I think we’re doing very well with Russia, but right now they’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine. And Ukraine, I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they don’t have the cards,” Trump said. “In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising, because they have all the cards.”
Senior U.S. officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia with their Ukrainian counterparts next week. They will seek to sign the minerals agreement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not sign before he was kicked out of the White House last week following his argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
The administration has seemingly sought to pursue a neutral posture toward negotiations to end the war, which has concerned European leaders that the United States could push Ukraine into a less favorable deal to end the conflict in the short term.
"President Trump has been clear that the United States's primary objective in this war is to stop the killing and get both sides to the table and implement an enduring peace structure," Keith Kellogg, Trump's Russia-Ukraine envoy, said during an event on Thursday.
Trump, in the aftermath of his dispute with Zelensky, decided to suspend military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
"The president is paying a very keen eye to precisely what the Ukrainians are saying and doing about committing to that peace process, and we're very encouraged by the signs we're seeing. Ultimately, he will make the determination, but it is a pause for now," Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said.
Several officials within the administration have declined to blame the conflict on Putin directly, following Trump's claim that Zelensky bore some responsibility, and that came as senior U.S. diplomats met with their Russian counterparts twice last month to initiate talks about ending the war and thawing relations.
Russian leaders have said they are not willing to give up Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory in negotiations, nor would it tolerate NATO forces or troops from Ukraine's allies acting as a peacekeeping force in Ukraine following a cessation of fighting.
Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine hit its third anniversary in late February, and Putin has had the ability to end the conflict every day since it started.
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As Trump referenced, Ukraine's energy infrastructure and civilian populations have continued to get targeted by Russian forces.
Overnight, Russia fired nearly 70 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 attack drones targeting various facilities in multiple cities, including Odesa, Poltava, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Ternopil, according to Zelensky.
"I actually think [Putin's] doing what anybody else would do. I think he wants to get it stopped and settled. And I think he's hitting [Zelensky] harder than he's been hitting him. And I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now,” Trump added, referencing Putin. “He wants to get it ended.”