Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatening significant tariff increases and additional sanctions if an agreement to end the war in Ukraine is not reached immediately.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated, “If we don’t reach a deal soon, I will have no choice but to impose high tariffs, taxes, and sanctions on all Russian goods sold to the United States and other participating nations.” He emphasized that he did not wish to harm Russia and mentioned his previously strong relationship with Putin.
However, Trump added, “That said, I am doing Russia and President Putin a huge favor by urging them to settle this now and end this absurd war—it will only escalate further if not stopped.”
Trump’s remarks were more forceful than his previous statements made during a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, where he had suggested it was “likely” he would implement more sanctions if Putin did not engage in peace talks.
During the press briefing, Trump also refrained from commenting on whether he would continue President Joe Biden’s policy of sending military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Ahead of his inauguration, Trump had pledged to end the war in Ukraine swiftly, hinting that he might use aid as leverage to push Ukraine into making concessions to Moscow.
