US President Donald Trump threatens Russia with sanctions

Washington: US President Donald Trump threatened Russia with severe sanctions on Friday unless a ceasefire and a lasting deal with Ukraine are reached.

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late.”

Russia launched a wave of aerial bombings early Friday hitting Ukraine with 67 missiles and 194 drones, according to Kyiv. Most of them were intercepted but some did make it through, hitting gas and power facilities.

These threats were the first strong warnings for Russia from Trump, who had during the election campaign 2024 claimed the war would be over on the day he took office and even before. He had then, as now, also claimed Russia would have never invaded Ukraine if he was still president. The second claim cannot be tested but the first — his confidence in finishing the war — is being tested, as the war has been on for two months now after the start of his second term.

President Trump has managed to strong-arm Ukraine getting ready for a ceasefire and a final settlement. After a heated exchange with President Volodymyr Zelensky at an Oval Office meeting he announced a pause in all US aid to Ukraine, stopping even the exchange of intelligence.

Mollified by a “regret” letter from Ukraine, Trump has said he is ready to work with Zelensky towards peace. Officials of the two sides are to meet next week for talks, including on a US-Ukraine agreement that will grant Washington rights in Ukraine’s rich reserves of rare earth minerals.