President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, threatening severe economic consequences if Russia fails to reach a settlement to end its nearly three-year war in Ukraine. In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump promised "high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions" on Russian goods and exports to the United States and allied nations should the conflict continue.
"Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE," Trump wrote. "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, who has frequently claimed he could have prevented the war if he had been president when it began in February 2022, doubled down on his criticism of Putin and Russia's faltering economy. "Let's get this war, which never would 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," he added.
While Trump stopped short of announcing specific economic measures, his tone signaled a readiness to use trade policy as leverage. "I'm not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people and always had a very good relationship with President Putin-despite the Radical Left's Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX," Trump stated.
Trump also framed his stance as an act of goodwill to Russia, urging Putin to settle for the sake of his own country. "We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process," he wrote, citing a figure far exceeding most historical estimates.
On Monday, Trump suggested he was prepared to engage directly with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate an end to the conflict. "I'll be meeting with President Putin," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, without specifying a timeline. He also noted Zelensky's willingness to negotiate. "He told me he wants to make a deal. I don't know if Putin does," Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly claimed he could resolve the conflict in less than a day, but his first days back in the White House have yet to yield such results. His threats of economic action, however, mirror tactics used during his first term to pressure countries like Mexico and China into compliance on trade and immigration issues.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has exacted a devastating toll. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated in December that his country had lost 43,000 soldiers, with another 370,000 wounded. He estimated Russian losses at 198,000 soldiers killed and over 550,000 wounded.
The conflict has also drawn condemnation from global leaders and sparked economic sanctions against Russia by Western nations. Trump's warning suggests he intends to escalate pressure on Moscow through additional economic penalties, which could further isolate the Kremlin.
Critics have questioned Trump's approach, including his assertion about Russia's World War II casualties, which vastly overstates the widely accepted figure of 24 million military and civilian deaths in the Soviet Union.
