Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) looks at U.S. President Donald Trump during a welcome ceremony before the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 30, 2018.
Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened “high-level” sanctions against Russia and tariffs on imports from it if Russia did not reach a settlement to end the nearly three-year war with Ukraine. .
Trump’s warning came on his third day in office in a social media post in which he called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name.
“Unless we reach a ‘deal,’ and soon, we will have no choice but to impose high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on everything Russia sells to the United States and various other participating countries,” Trump said. wrote on Truth Social:
“Let’s end this war that would never have started if I were president! We can do it the easy way or the hard way. And the easy way is always better,” Trump wrote.
“Now is the time to ‘make a deal’. No more lives should be lost!!!”
President Trump has repeatedly said he could end the Ukraine war in one day if elected to a second non-consecutive term in the White House. The war began in February 2022 with the invasion of Russian forces.
“Russians and Ukrainians, they’re dying. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll get it done — I’ll get it done in 24 hours,” he said in May 2023. .
That didn’t happen immediately after Monday’s inauguration.
But President Trump’s message to Russia on Wednesday signaled his intention to deploy economic weapons similar to those he has threatened against Russia if U.S. allies such as Mexico and Canada do not comply with his will. revealed.
“I’m not trying to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people and I’ve always had very good relations with President Putin. Despite the Russia, Russia, Russia disinformation from the radical left, No,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We must never forget that Russia helped win World War II and lost some 60 million lives in the process.”
“That being said, I’m going to do a big favor to Russia and President Putin, whose economy is in ruins. Let’s settle this now and stop this stupid war!” Trump wrote.
“The situation will only get worse.”
President Trump’s claims about Russia’s losses in World War II are significantly higher than experts’ estimates.
According to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, total Soviet military and civilian losses during the war were 24 million.
In December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in action and another 370,000 wounded.
President Zelensky also said that Ukraine estimates that 198,000 Russian soldiers have been killed and more than 550,000 wounded.
