Trump Threatens Putin With High Taxes, Sanctions Over ‘Ridiculous’ Ukraine War
This statement signifies Trump’s most detailed efforts yet to end the war in Ukraine.
The US President Donald Trump has declared his intention to impose more taxes and tariffs on the Russian government if a deal to end the war in Ukraine is not struck soon.
The President said in a post shared on Truth Social on Wednesday, stating that Russia’s economy was failing and urged Vladimir Putin to “settle now and stop this ridiculous war”.
Trump said, “I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
This statement signifies Trump’s most detailed efforts yet to end the war in Ukraine.
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better,” he added.
The US President who was inaugurated on Monday had vowed during his presidential campaign to end the war.
Asked on Monday how long it would take to do so, he said: “I have to speak to President Putin. We’re going to have to find out.”
Reports claimed Trump had instructed his special envoy, Keith Kellogg, to end the war in 100 days.
Top Russian officials have expressed unusual willingness to engage with Trump in recent statements. Putin praised his readiness to “restore direct contacts with Russia” on Monday.
In what appeared to be an appeal to Trump’s well-documented fondness for flattery, Putin has described him as courageous on two occasions, referring to the assassination attempt against him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on 1 July.
In contrast, Trump’s rhetoric towards Russia has been harsher, marking some of his strongest-ever public criticism of Putin and his leadership.
Asked about the war in Ukraine shortly after his inauguration on Monday, Trump said that his Russian counterpart was destroying Russia by refusing to negotiate a ceasefire.
“He can’t be thrilled, he’s not doing so well,” he told reporters, referring to Putin’s war. “Russia is bigger, they have more soldiers to lose, but that’s no way to run a country.”
Trump nevertheless wrote on Wednesday that he “always had a very good relationship” with Putin and that he “was not looking to turn Russia”.
Trump’s latest statements highlight the unease many in Moscow’s elite feel about his unpredictability, which has led to a cautious response since his re-election.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters had reported how Russia forced thousands of migrants and foreign students to fight in the war against Ukraine.
African students and workers were coerced into joining the military in exchange for visa extensions, while convicts are being recruited from prisons.
Some individuals have been detained and given the choice between deportation or fighting. Those who have managed to bribe officials have been able to avoid military service.
This practice started in the early stages of the war, with forced recruits suffering high casualty rates due to deployment in risky offensive manoeuvres. The Russian Foreign Ministry has not responded to requests for comment.
