PoliticsDonald Trump Threatens Russia With Taxes, Tariffs and Sanctions Over Vladimir Putin's Ongoing War With Ukraine
Donald Trump threatened Vladimir Putin just days after the former got into office.
In a bold move to pressure Russia into negotiations with Kyiv, U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a series of threats aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of imposing sanctions on Russian exports if a deal is not reached soon.
Donald Trump was previously friendly with Vladimir Putin.
Trump took to Truth Social to directly address Putin, calling on him to act swiftly to stop the ongoing conflict with Ukrainian forces.
The U.S. president wrote: "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."
"Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better,” he explained.
Trump ended his statement by claiming he's "always had a very good relationship" with Putin and that he "was not looking to turn Russia."
Donald Trump previously vowed to end the war between Russia and Ukraine within the first 24 hours of his presidency.
Trump's statements have elicited varied responses from Russian authorities.
While Putin acknowledged Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue, there remains apprehension over Trump's unpredictability and stern rhetoric regarding Putin's handling of the war.
Russian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Polyanskiy, have expressed cautious optimism about the potential for negotiations with the Trump administration. However, the Kremlin has indicated a measured approach to peace talks, emphasizing the need to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
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Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election.
Polyanskiy responded to Trump's statement, stating: "It’s not merely the question of ending the war. It’s first and foremost the question of addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis."
"So we have to see what the ‘deal’ means in President Trump’s understanding," the Russian official clarified.
Putin has repeatedly staked out a maximalist position for ending the war in recent months, demanding that Ukraine not join NATO, and that it adopt a neutral status and undergo some level of demilitarization.
Donald Trump took to Truth Social to call out the Russian leader.
Putin has previously described Trump as courageous on two occasions in regard to the assassination attempt against him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July 2024.
In contrast, the commander-in-chief's rhetoric toward Russia has been harsher compared to where he was during his first term in office. He's made some of his harshest public criticisms of Putin and his leadership in recent months.
Soon after his inauguration on Monday, January 20, Trump said that his Russian counterpart was destroying the country by refusing to negotiate a ceasefire.
"He can’t be thrilled, he’s not doing so well," he told reporters, referring to Putin’s war. "Russia is bigger, they have more soldiers to lose, but that’s no way to run a country."
