Trump Warns of Tougher Sanctions on Russia After Deadly Strikes in Ukraine
Donald Trump has threatened to impose tougher sanctions on Russia after Moscow launched its most intense aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began.
The Sunday bombardment killed four people, including a mother and her baby, and damaged Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv for the first time. Ukrainian officials said the attack involved more than 800 drones and 13 missiles, sparking fresh calls for stronger Western action against Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that sanctions would not force Russia to change its position, reiterating Moscow’s defiance.
Trump, speaking after the strikes, said he was “not happy with the whole situation.” When pressed on whether he was ready to move to a “second phase” of sanctions, he answered, “Yeah, I am,” without offering details.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also stressed the need for stronger European cooperation, telling NBC that if the EU tightened sanctions and imposed tariffs on countries still buying Russian oil, “the Russian economy will be in total collapse, and that will bring President Putin to the table.”
He added: “It’s a race between how long Ukraine’s military can hold out and how long the Russian economy can withstand the pressure.”
Washington’s toughest measure so far has been a 50% tariff on imports from India, imposed last month over its continued Russian oil purchases. Trump has suggested similar penalties for other nations but has not yet acted.
European leaders are due in Washington this week to discuss ways to end the war. Trump said, “Certain European leaders are coming over on Monday or Tuesday individually,” without naming them. He also hinted that he would speak directly with Putin soon.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Europe to fully cut ties with Russian energy. Speaking to ABC News, he said: “We have to stop buying any kind of energy from Russia. We can’t make deals with them if we want to stop this war.” He welcomed Trump’s tariff strategy, calling it “the right idea” to choke off Kremlin revenues.
Since the full-scale invasion began in March 2022, Russia has earned nearly $985 billion (£729bn) from oil and gas sales, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. China and India have been its largest buyers, while the EU has pledged to phase out Russian energy imports by 2027.
Despite sanctions, Moscow continues to seek new markets. Last week in Beijing, Russia announced plans to increase gas exports to China. At the same time, OPEC+, which includes Russia, agreed to boost oil production — a move that could lower global prices and complicate Western efforts to squeeze Moscow’s finances.