Despite recent reports indicating that the Trump Administration is looking into possible options to ease sanctions against Russia, the President took to social media to threaten exactly the opposite. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said “[b]ased on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED . . . .” The threat comes in the wake of Russia’s first major missile offensive against Ukraine since the the Trump administration stopped engaging in intelligence sharing with Ukraine. It is not yet clear whether President Trump’s threat will be followed by new sanctions or whether this is simply a negotiating tactic to encourage advancement of peace talks.
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