President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to impose “heavy” sanctions on Russia and tariffs on imports from there if the country fails to achieve an agreement to finish its nearly three-year war with Ukraine.
Trump's warning, made in a social media post on his third day as president, mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin by name.
“If we don’t make a deal soon, I will have no choice but to impose heavy taxes, tariffs and sanctions on everything Russia sells to the United States and various other participating countries,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Let’s get this war that would never 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,” Trump wrote.
“It’s time to make a deal.” No more lives needs to be lost!!!”
Trump had repeatedly said he could end the war in Ukraine in a day if elected to a second, non-consecutive term within the White House. The war began in February 2022 with an invasion of Russia.
“They are dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I will do that – I will do that in 24 hours,” he said in May 2023.
This didn’t occur immediately after his inauguration on Monday.
But Trump's message to Russia on Wednesday revealed his intention to make use of economic weapons against that country, just like those he has threatened against U.S. allies resembling Mexico and Canada if those nations don’t yield to his will.
“I don’t want to harm Russia. “I love the Russian people and have always had a very good relationship with President Putin – despite the Russia, Russia, Russia BAD of the radical left,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We must never forget that Russia helped us win World War II and lost almost 60,000,000 lives in the process.”
“All in all, I will do Russia, whose economy is failing, and President Putin a big favor. Now settle down and stop this ridiculous war!” Trump wrote.
“It’s only going to get worse.”
Trump's figures on Russia's losses in World War II are well above expert estimates.
The National World War II Museum In New Orleans it is claimed that the full variety of military and civilian casualties within the Soviet Union through the war was 24 million.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in December that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in combat and one other 370,000 were injured.
Zelensky also said Ukraine estimates that 198,000 Russian soldiers were killed and greater than 550,000 were injured.
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