Trump Warns of Possible Sanctions and Tariffs Against Russia
The president did not specify the types of extra sanctions or the amount of tariffs he would apply to the country.
President Donald Trump issued a warning of sanctions and tariffs against Russia on March 7 due to its conflict in Ukraine.
Trump did not specify the other types of sanctions or the amount of tariffs he would impose on Russia.
The announcement came a week after a dispute in the Oval Office involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance. Zelenskyy resisted U.S. calls for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, prompting Vance to accuse Zelenskyy of ingratitude towards the U.S. for its support to Ukraine in its battle against Russia since Moscow’s invasion in February 2022.
Zelenskyy subsequently attempted to mend relations through a letter to Trump, reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
“No one desires peace more than Ukrainians,” he added. “My team and I are ready to cooperate under President Trump’s strong leadership to achieve a lasting peace.”
Trump mentioned the letter during his address to a joint session of Congress on March 4. He expressed appreciation for the letter.
“As well, we have engaged in serious talks with Russia and have received indications that they are committed to peace. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” he remarked.
“It’s time to stop this madness,” Trump declared. “It’s time to end the bloodshed. It’s time to put a stop to this unnecessary war. If you want to end wars, you need to engage with both sides.”
The administration is planning to meet with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia next week to work on a cease-fire agreement, according to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff on March 6.
“So the location is still being finalized, but it will be in Saudi Arabia,“ he continued. ”And the objective is to outline a peace agreement framework and an initial cease-fire as well.”
Witkoff, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18. They agreed to high-level negotiations and to restore embassy staff to full capacity in each other’s respective countries.
Ukraine was not involved in the meeting.
Furthermore, Trump stated last week that sanctions on Russia would persist, but they may be lifted at a later time.