Trump issues threat to Russia with additional sanctions
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of targeting Ukrainian civilian areas without justification and warned that Moscow could face additional sanctions. The comments were posted on Truth Social shortly after Trump met briefly with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the Vatican.
Trump expressed frustration over Russia’s recent missile strikes, suggesting they indicate Putin is not serious about ending the conflict. “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas,” Trump wrote, implying the Russian leader may be dragging out the war intentionally. He floated the idea of imposing new "banking" or "secondary" sanctions in response, noting the rising human toll of the conflict.
These statements came just after Putin reaffirmed his willingness to hold unconditional peace talks with Kiev during a meeting with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. Despite this, Trump’s message reflected skepticism over Moscow’s intentions.
Following a short pause in hostilities during an Easter truce announced by Russia, the Russian military resumed long-range attacks this week, targeting what it claims are military and dual-use facilities in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Russia only strikes military-related targets, including infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces.
Trump also restated his belief that the war would never have started if he had remained in office, placing blame on previous U.S. administrations. He further criticized The New York Times, especially reporter Peter Baker, accusing the paper of undermining any potential peace deal with Russia. Trump dismissed recent suggestions that Ukraine should reclaim territories like Crimea as “ridiculous,” accusing the media of bias regardless of the merits of any agreement he might broker.
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