‘Putin Is Destroying Russia by Not Making a Deal’ – Trump Threatens Tougher Measures if Moscow Won’t Accept His Terms
US President Donald Trump on Thursday placed the ball in Moscow’s court as he prepares negotiations aimed at ending the almost three-year war in Ukraine.
On his own social media platform, Truth Social, the newly inaugurated president threatened even tougher sanctions on Russia’s embattled economy unless Moscow agreed to Washington’s as-yet unspecified proposals.
“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,” Trump said.
Ongoing sanctions imposed by the previous administration of Joe Biden and Ukraine’s other Western allies have started to have a profound effect on the Russian economy as the war enters is fourth year.
The 45th and 47th US President, sworn in on Monday, has made a habit of wielding potential American fiscal and military consequences on countries with whom he plans to have negotiations before he even sits down at the bargaining table: especially Mexico, China, Canada, Panama, and even Denmark as Trump eyes a geopolitically strategic acquisition in Greenland.
Trump insisted that he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and underscored that he had “always had a very good relationship with [Russian autocrat Vladimir] Putin.”
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE.”
“We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better,” he added. “It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’”
Source: Kyiv Post