On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to reach a deal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine "now," warning that failure to do so would result in increased tariffs and further sanctions.
"If we don't make a 'deal' soon, I will have no choice but to impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything Russia sells to the United States and other participating countries," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump emphasized that he did not wish to harm Russia, noting he had always had a positive relationship with Putin, whom he has previously admired. However, he said, "I'm going to do Russia, whose economy is struggling, and President Putin a big favor. Settle now and stop this ridiculous war—it's only going to get worse."
Did you read this?
This statement marked a tougher stance than the one Trump took during a White House press conference on Tuesday, where he suggested it "sounds likely" he would impose additional sanctions if Putin did not negotiate.
Trump also avoided commenting on whether he would continue his predecessor Joe Biden's policy of providing military aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022. "We're looking at that," Trump said at the press conference. "We're talking to President Zelensky and will be speaking to President Putin very soon."
Before his inauguration on Monday, Trump had vowed to end the war in Ukraine even before taking office, with some anticipating he might use aid to pressure Kyiv into making concessions to Moscow. In unusually critical comments about Putin on Monday, Trump said the Russian president was "destroying Russia by not making a deal."
Trump also revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had expressed a desire for a peace agreement to end the conflict.
