On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump increased pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to a peace agreement with Ukraine, warning of stricter economic sanctions if Russia refuses to end the conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized the need for a quick resolution to the ongoing war, which he promised to resolve before starting his second term.
“If we can’t reach a ‘deal’ soon, I will have no choice but to impose high Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on all Russian goods sold to the United States and other involved nations,” Trump stated.
He expressed that he did not intend to harm Russia and has historically had a positive relationship with Putin, whom he has praised before. However, he noted that he would be doing Russia, whose economy is struggling, a favor by urging Putin to settle and end the “ridiculous War,” warning that the situation would only deteriorate.
“Let’s wrap up this war, which wouldn’t have begun if I were in office! We can resolve it the easy way or the hard way, and the easy way is always preferable. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL,’” he added.
As a result of the war since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia is already facing severe U.S. sanctions, and trade has significantly diminished. Trump, a billionaire known for his negotiation skills emphasized that there are ways to intensify these measures to pressure Putin.
US imports from Russia fell from $4.3 billion in the same period in 2023 to $2.9 billion from January to November 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, with key imports including fertilizers and precious metals.
This represents Trump’s strongest stance against Putin since returning to the White House, despite concerns that he might push Kyiv to accept a peace deal under pressure. During a press conference, Trump indicated that additional sanctions were likely if Putin did not engage in negotiations.
When asked if he would continue supplying military aid to Ukraine, Trump stated, “We’re looking at that,” and mentioned discussions with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Putin would occur soon.
Trump, who previously declared he would resolve the Ukraine conflict “within 24 hours” by the start of his new term, raised expectations he might compel Ukraine to make concessions to Russia to achieve peace. However, he has yet to deliver on this promise.
In a rare critique of Putin, Trump said on Monday that the Russian leader was “destroying Russia by not making a deal.” He also mentioned that Zelensky expressed a desire for a peace agreement to resolve the war.
Putin congratulated Trump on his second-term inauguration and expressed openness to discussing the Ukraine situation with Trump’s administration, hoping for a settlement that would secure “lasting peace.”
Trump has often praised Putin, who appeals to various U.S. Christian conservatives due to his traditional values. Investigations by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller and the FBI scrutinized alleged connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia; Trump described these inquiries as the “Russia hoax” in his recent post, noting that while six campaign members faced convictions, no evidence of criminal collaboration with Russia was found.
