US President Donald Trump has stated that he is “considering the implementation of large-scale sanctions” and tariffs against Russia until a ceasefire and peace agreement with Ukraine are achieved.
Trump stated that he was considering the action due to the fact that “Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now.”
Trump’s statements disclosed an abrupt shift in tone. Since assuming office, he has lauded Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticised Ukraine’s leader for his failure to pursue peace with Russia.
However, hours later, the US president informed reporters that he was “finding it more difficult to deal with Ukraine” and reiterated his confidence in Putin.
Last Friday, Trump berated Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. He had even referred to him as a dictator and attributed the inception of the conflict to Ukraine, which commenced on 24 February 2022 with Putin’s full-scale invasion of the neighbouring country. This occurred just days prior.
This week, Trump suspended all US military aid and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in response to the public dressing-down.
Whether this enabled Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Thursday night is unclear.
Trump threatened sanctions and tariffs against Russia on Friday morning, purportedly in response to the attack.
Trump stated in the Oval Office on Friday, “They [Russia] are bombing the hell out of them [Ukraine] right now… and I put a statement out, a very strong statement, ‘can’t do that, can’t do that’.”
When asked whether this was due to the United States’ decision to suspend military cooperation with Ukraine, Trump responded that Putin was acting in accordance with the same principles as any other individual.
Additionally, he defended the United States’ action by asserting, “I am uncertain as to whether Ukraine intends to resolve the situation, and I am uncertain as to whether they intend to do so.”
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