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Donald Trump has warned he will impose high tariffs and further sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin fails to end the war in Ukraine.

Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, he said that by pushing to settle the war he was doing Russia and its president a "very big favour".

Trump had previously said he would negotiate a settlement to Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022, in a single day.

Russia has not yet responded to the remarks, but senior officials have said in recent days that there is a small window of opportunity for Moscow to deal with the new US administration.

Putin has said repeatedly that he is prepared to negotiate an end to the war, which first began in 2014, but that Ukraine would have to accept the reality of Russian territorial gains, which are currently about 20% of its land. He also refuses to allow Ukraine to join Nato, the military alliance of Western countries.

Kyiv does not want to give up its territory, although President Volodymyr Zelensky has conceded he may have to cede some currently occupied land temporarily.

On Tuesday, Trump told a news conference he would be talking to Putin "very soon" and it "sounds likely" that he would apply more sanctions if the Russian leader did not come to the table.

But in his Truth Social post the next day, he went further: "I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR," he wrote.

"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal', and soon, 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."

Continuing, he wrote: "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. It's time to 'MAKE A DEAL'."

Trump's former special representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, said Trump's threat of more serious sanctions on Russia "gives a signal to Vladimir Putin this is going to get worse, not better". Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he added: "We should incentivise Putin to say, 'OK, it's time actually to have a ceasefire.'"

Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy earlier told Reuters news agency that the Kremlin would need to know what Trump wanted in a deal to stop the war before the country moves forward.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum on Tuesday that at least 200,000 peacekeepers would be needed under any agreement.

And he told Bloomberg that any peacekeeping force for his country would have to include US troops to pose a realistic deterrent to Russia.

"It can't be without the United States... Even if some European friends think it can be, no, it will not be," he said, adding that no-one else would risk such a move without the US.

While Ukraine's leaders might appreciate this tougher-talking Trump - they have always said Putin only understands strength - the initial reaction in Kyiv to the US president's comments suggest that it is actions people are waiting for, not words.

Trump has not specified where more economic penalties might be aimed, or when. Russian imports to the US have plummeted since 2022 and there are all sorts of heavy restrictions already in place.

Currently, the main Russian exports to the US are phosphate-based fertilisers and platinum.

Speaking to the BBC, Volker said the Russian economy could take "substantial" damage if Trump chose to preserve or strengthen the toughest US sanctions so far, which he said were only levied as Trump's predecessor Joe Biden left office. "Russia really didn't feel as much pressure as they could," he commented.

On social media, there was a generally scathing response to Trump's comments from Ukrainians. Many suggested that more sanctions would be a weak reply to Russian aggression. But the biggest question for most is what Putin is actually open to discussing with Ukraine at any peace talks.

In Moscow meanwhile, some people are seeing signs that the Kremlin may be readying Russians to accept less than the "victory" once envisaged, which included tanks rolling all the way west to the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa.

TV editor Margarita Simonyan, who is stridently pro-Putin, has begun talking of "realistic" conditions for ending the war, which she suggests could include halting the fighting along the current frontline.

That would mean the four Ukrainian regions that Putin illegally pronounced as Russian territory more than two years ago, including Zaporizhzhia, still being partially controlled by Kyiv.

Russian hardliners, the so-called "Z" bloggers, are furious at such "defeatism".

In his BBC interview on Thursday, Trump's former envoy Volker said he was "sceptical that there is going to be a deal per se", adding that the first priority of the US could be to stop the fighting and then deter more attacks by Putin.

In Wednesday's social media post, Trump also couched his threat of tariffs and tighter sanctions in words of "love" for the Russian people and highlighted his respect for Soviet losses in World War Two – a near-sacred topic for Putin.

But Trump massively overestimated the numbers and appeared to think the USSR was Russia alone. In reality, millions of Ukrainians and other Soviet citizens also lost their lives.

That said, the man who previously said he could "understand" Russia's concerns about Ukraine joining Nato - which for Kyiv is tantamount to saying Putin was provoked - does seem to be shifting his tone.

Trump's position matters. But after 11 years of war with Russia and a history of poor peace deals, Ukrainians are not inclined to be too hopeful.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw4q7v7ez1o

"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don't make a 'deal', and soon, 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."

I'm worried this threat wouldnt make Putin agree to any deal in anyway.

Why threaten to sanction him more when he could have just say something about incentivising Russia and end it there?


Putin is egoistic and would not want Trump to use to win some public scores/validation

Nothing will happen.
You can't do shittt

Putin should end that inglorious war and count his losses! Ukrainians have fought bloody wars back in the day, even when they were invaded by Germany during World War II, and they fought till the end.

,

Mr Trump is this how you intend to stop the war in Ukraine...?

This is a weak response.

And sanctions is not "negotiation".

The war won't end by tough talk. A more practical approach is needed.

Not blunt talk like you have putin in your pouch... You don't!

If you want Putin to end the war, do these two things and heaven will not fall:

1.) impose all round sanctions on anything from Russia, including to US ally countries and extend it to China and if China flouts it, ban Chinese made goods from entering US and President Xi will quickly comply.


2.) Last option, damn the consequences and give Ukraine full access to use US and NATO long range missiles to strike Moscow and heavens will not fall, Putin knows Donald Trump is an unpredictable mad man madder than him so he will calm down

franchasofficia:
If you want Putin to end the war, do these two things and heaven will not fall:

1.) impose all round sanctions on anything from Russia, including to US ally countries and extend it to China and if China flouts it, ban Chinese made goods from entering US and President Xi will quickly comply.

An all round sanction on anything from Russia will lead to the price of fuel and gas shooting up all over the world

franchasofficia:
If you want Putin to end the war, do these two things and heaven will not fall:

1.) impose all round sanctions on anything from Russia, including to US ally countries and extend it to China and if China flouts it, ban Chinese made goods from entering US and President Xi will quickly comply.


2.) Last option, damn the consequences and give Ukraine full access to use US and NATO long range missiles to strike Moscow and heavens will not fall, Putin knows Donald Trump is an unpredictable mad man madder than him so he will calm down

You overestimate the influence of U.S.A. in the current dynamics of world politics. The same mistake that Trump is making. Shouting "I will sanction you" up and down will not change anything. Russia, on its own is not a push over.

You told us you will end the war within 24hrs.It is 78hrs now o

yeah next you forbid russians to breathe....

givedemwotowoto:
Putin should end that inglorious war and count his losses! Ukrainians have fought bloody wars back in the day, even when they were invaded by Germany during World War II, and they fought till the end.

noo....many sided with the invadin nazis till they figured out germans see them as nothing....

Whilst I support Trump, I don't think his approach on this matter is the way to go about it ...

Russia is no pushover

And even if Russia wanted to comply to give the US some face: with these threats, Russia would most likely not back down to save face in the international marketplace ...

I'm afraid if he continues like this, he will escalate things before it ever gets better ...

Werey wan dey threaten his master Putin.

Guess he has forgotten Putin has him on a lease..

Oluya..

Fahvvy:
Whilst I support Trump, I don't think his approach on this matter is the way to go about it ...

Russia is no pushover

And even if Russia wanted to comply to give the US some face: with these threats, Russia would most likely not back down to save face in the international marketplace ...

I'm afraid if he continues like this, he will escalate things before it ever gets better ...

What a joke.
Countries don't make decisions like emotional kids.
The tragic mistake Biden and Europe made was assuring Putin that they won't send troops
into Ukraine, that gave him all the pointers he needed to pursue the war further.

While I consider Trump a repugnant character, he would never have made such self-defeating assurance.
He would first offer to make a deal and if rebuffed,
he would have threatened to send troops into Ukraine following the invasion.
It may be a bluff but Putin would be uncertain and would have opted for a quick negotiation instead.

Here is what is going to happen going forward.
If Putin refuses to initiate a negotiation, Ukraine will get desperate as American military aid dwindles.
It would then start attacking Russia's oil installation which have been avoided all these while out of respect
for Europe and US, its major supporter.

The result will be extreme inflation in the US which will make Trump look bad.
And Trump hates looking bad.
At that point, Trump may start threatening to send troops into Ukraine in addition to more sanctions
and supporters like you will be forced to choose between Trump or Putin to asslick.
All Trump needs to get domestic support is to accuse Russia of being behind US inflation.

Putin will likely soft pedal in response and opt for negotiation unless he wants
Trump to possibly make him his legacy.

Trump my man. Putin and his balded head should respect who pass am if not he go collect wotowoto

franchasofficia:
If you want Putin to end the war, do these two things and heaven will not fall:

1.) impose all round sanctions on anything from Russia, including to US ally countries and extend it to China and if China flouts it, ban Chinese made goods from entering US and President Xi will quickly comply.


2.) Last option, damn the consequences and give Ukraine full access to use US and NATO long range missiles to strike Moscow and heavens will not fall, Putin knows Donald Trump is an unpredictable mad man madder than him so he will calm down

LOL you are funny, many NATO countries depend on Russia supplies to survive 😂😂😂. Impose sanctions and watch the ripple effect roast those NATO countries whom you call US allies.

If you give Ukraines access to certain long range missiles then you want to wipe Ukraine completely. Do they have defense system for hypersonic ballistic missiles?

Playing stick and carrot tactics





Get me my pop corn

franchasofficia:
If you want Putin to end the war, do these two things and heaven will not fall:

1.) impose all round sanctions on anything from Russia, including to US ally countries and extend it to China and if China flouts it, ban Chinese made goods from entering US and President Xi will quickly comply.


2.) Last option, damn the consequences and give Ukraine full access to use US and NATO long range missiles to strike Moscow and heavens will not fall, Putin knows Donald Trump is an unpredictable mad man madder than him so he will calm down

Unfortunately both ideas are dumb and dead in the water.
Sanctions over the years haven't hurt Russia.
Only made it stronger..adding more sanctions won't achieve much. Alienating countries that do business with Russia is like pushing them towards another power bloc. BRICS. you'll only be advertising your stupidity..at this point, the US needs serious allies..this buffon will mess things up for America.
Escalate the war in Ukraine? You think Trump will approve such? You must be dreaming..even Ukrainians themselves would never deploy such even if given the greenlight.
People aren't stupid, after the aftermath when Russia reduces Ukraine to a smoldering heap, who bears the brunt of the refugees and humanitarian crisis? Is it not Europe? Have you heard anyone of them talking about Ukraine? France? Germany? Finland? They've all kept out of it and leave Ukraine to it's fate. No one pokes the Russian bear and go score free.. you think they have faith in NATO? Many might shout and support Ukraine but deep down it's all man for himself.US is far away across the Pacific controlling destinies of people in Eastern Europe.

You really overestimate the influence of US in Europe..maybe in Middle East or somewhere else they might call the shots..not in Europe..Eastern Europe to be exact

Sanction does not shake Russia anymore the west have slammed them with over 25k sanctions since 2014, I doubt if US still have anything left as deterrent against Russia.Trump better treat Russia with respect that is the only to get good result with President Putin.

franchasofficia:
If you want Putin to end the war, do these two things and heaven will not fall:

1.) impose all round sanctions on anything from Russia, including to US ally countries and extend it to China and if China flouts it, ban Chinese made goods from entering US and President Xi will quickly comply.


2.) Last option, damn the consequences and give Ukraine full access to use US and NATO long range missiles to strike Moscow and heavens will not fall, Putin knows Donald Trump is an unpredictable mad man madder than him so he will calm down

You have said it all. Trump no be Biden.

Mad man jam mad man

Ojiofor:
Sanction does not shake Russia anymore the west have slammed them with over 25k sanctions since 2014, I doubt if US still have anything left as deterrent against Russia.Trump better treat Russia with respect that is the only to get good result with President Putin.

You have no idea about what you have said sir. There is a reason why Putin is willing to negotiate, he doesn't want to take Ukraine in 2 weeks again but he wants the territories he has right now. He just wants to save face and get out of the war. Russia economy is crumbling(economy doesn't crumble in a day sir) and Trump will fasten the process

lecowas:
You have no idea about what you have said sir. There is a reason why Putin is willing to negotiate, he doesn't want to take Ukraine in 2 weeks again but he wants the territories he has right now. He just wants to save face and get out of the war. Russia economy is crumbling(economy doesn't crumble in a day sir) and Trump will fasten the process

Yes of course Putin wants the war to end like yesterday but at his own terms not at the terms and conditions of US led NATO nations.
Many European countries that sanctioned Russia are suffering due to the unfair sanction they placed on Russia,Germany is a good example they could not find a better replacement for Russia Gas that powers their industries.

Russia never wanted to take over the whole of Ukraine that is a propaganda from western news media.
Russia initial military plans was for a regime change in Kiev and when that failed they withdrew their troops and decided on plan B which is to conquer and occupy Eastern Ukraine which is a Russian speaking region and to force Ukraine to abandon the idea of joining NATO and remain neutral.

Once Ukraine agreed to give up the dream of joining NATO and wave good bye to Donbas region the war will come to an end.
No threat of sanctions will make Putin to abandon the objectives of his special military operation(SMO) in Ukraine.

Shakeup:
Nothing will happen.
You can't do shittt

PUTIN IS INORDINATELY AMBITIOUS AND WEIRD.