President Trump has threatened to impose “high levels” of tariffs and sanctions on Russia if no agreement is reached to end the war in Ukraine.
In the social media post, Trump called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, claiming that while he had always had a good relationship with the leader, it was time to end “this ridiculous war!”
“We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “‘It’s time to make a deal.’ “No more lives should be lost!!!”
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly stated that if elected president, he could end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in a single day. He went on to say that Putin would never have invaded if Trump had been president.
It is unclear how much influence economic sanctions would have on the Russian government. The Biden administration has already imposed several sanctions on Russia’s economic sectors.
Trump stated in his post that he was not “looking to hurt Russia” and that he was doing Putin “a very big FAVOR,” given the number of lives lost and the economic impact on Russia.
Russia actually exports very little to the United States. In the first 11 months of last year, the United States imported slightly less than $3 billion worth of Russian goods.
That represents roughly one-tenth of one percent of total US imports. And it represents a 90% reduction from what the United States imported from Russia in 2021, the year before the invasion of Ukraine.
“Settle now and put an end to this ridiculous war! “It’s only going to get worse,” he wrote.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants peace, “but it takes two to tango.”
“We’ll see what happens anytime they want,” Trump said. “I would like to see that end. Millions of people are killed, and they continue to be killed. “It is a vicious situation.”
On Inauguration Day, Monday, Putin congratulated Trump and stated that he is open to dialogue and a deal for “long-term peace.”
