Newly-elect President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Vladimir Putin that he faces taxes, tariffs and sanctions if Russia did not sign up to a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
He delivered the threat on his Truth Social platform.
‘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 posted with his usual mix of idiosyncratic capitalization.
‘Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with!’
Trump frequently claimed he would end the war in Ukraine in his first 24 hours at the White House.
He may have missed that deadline but he has made clear that the conflict must come to a halt with a mix of incentives and threats aimed at both sides.
Trump has hinted that he could intensify the supply of arms to Ukraine if Moscow does not come to the negotiating table, yet at the same time has signaled the supply could be shut off if Kyiv refuses to countenance a deal.
On Tuesday, he was asked by reporters about the possibility of choking off arms to Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky.
‘Well, we’ll look into that. We’re talking to Zelensky,’ he said.
‘We’re going to be talking with President Putin very soon, and we’ll see what, how it all happens. We’re going to look at it.’
The war began three years ago when Russian forces swept into Ukraine. But their hopes of a rapid victory were dashed by dogged Ukrainian resistance.
Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to do a deal to end the war so long as Russia keeps hold of about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
Now the conflict stands at a pivotal moment as Ukraine waits to see what its biggest ally does after the inauguration of a new president.
