US President Donald Trump has warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to either end the ‘ridiculous war’ in Ukraine or face high tariffs and further sanctions.
Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, said this on Truth Social on Wednesday, January 22.
Trump called out Russian President Putin by name in the social media post, arguing that he always had a good relationship with the leader, but that it was time to settle “this ridiculous War!”
Asserting that he is looking to hurt Russia, Trump said he wants no more lives to be lost in the war.
“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’. NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!” Trump said.
“I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process,” he said.
He also warned that if there was not a ceasefire deal soon, he would “have no other choice” but to impose tariffs, taxes and sanctions on “anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries”.
“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOUR. 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,” Trump said making an open appeal to the Russian leader.
The Biden administration has already imposed numerous sanctions on various Russian economic sectors, including its oil and energy sectors earlier this month, in an effort to cut off its revenues to fund the war in Ukraine.
Trump has for months called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, urging both sides to negotiate. Russian forces invaded Ukraine in early 2022, and both sides have sustained heavy losses in the nearly three years of fighting since.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly said he could settle the war between Russia and Ukraine in one day if he was elected president. He would go on to claim that Putin would never have invaded had Trump been president, the National Public Radio reported.
On Tuesday, January 21, Trump said he is ready to meet Putin anytime, but at the same time, he warned that he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if the latter does not come to the negotiations table on the issue of Ukraine.
“It sounds likely,” Trump told reporters when asked if the US will impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin doesn’t come to the negotiation table.
Trump also said that Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy told him that he would like to have peace.
“He’s told me that he wants to have peace very strongly, but it takes two to tango. We’ll see what happens. Anytime they want, I’ll meet. I’d like to see that end. Millions of people are being killed. It’s a vicious situation,” he said.
