Trump Threatens Russia with New Sanctions Over Ukraine: 'My Patience is Running Out'

Trump Hints at Renewed Sanctions Against Russia

Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin is “running out fast,” and threatened new economic sanctions against Moscow due to the stalled efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine.

The statement follows days after a Russian drone breached Polish airspace, causing a significant stir within European nations.

In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump said, “Patience is running out, running out fast. We're going to hit Russia very hard through sanctions on the banks, measures related to oil, and tariffs."

Trump insisted he has already “done a lot” to punish Russia, mentioning the expansion of tariffs on India for purchasing Russian energy, and argued that “this is a European problem, far more of a problem for them than it is for us.”

Trump has repeatedly set “deadlines” for Putin to end the Ukrainian conflict but has so far not imposed sanctions or other punishments on Moscow. He stated, “It takes two to tango, and surprisingly, Putin wants to do it (Russian and Ukrainian leaders meeting), Zelenskyy doesn't want to do it. When Zelenskyy wanted to do it, Putin didn't want to do it. Now Zelenskyy wants to do it, and Putin is a question mark… We're going to have to act very, very toughly.”

Ukrainian Peace Talks at a Standstill

Russia stated on Friday that talks with Ukraine were “on pause,” although Trump had pushed the Russian leader to hold a direct meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after meeting with Putin last month.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, “Communication channels exist, they are established, our representatives have the opportunity to communicate through these channels, but as for now, perhaps we can say that they are on pause.” He did not elaborate.

Peskov added, “The Russian side remains willing to proceed along the path of peaceful dialogue. But the fact is that Europeans are hindering this process.”

US Proposals to Increase Pressure on Russia

The U.S. is expected to urge its Group of Seven (G7) allies to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that buy Russian oil, at a meeting of finance ministers on Friday.

According to a U.S. proposal seen by foreign media, the U.S. will also tell G7 nations that they should create a legal pathway to seize frozen Russian sovereign assets and consider confiscating or using the principal of those assets to fund Ukraine’s defense. Currently, approximately $300 billion of Moscow’s assets are frozen, with the vast majority held in Europe.

Earlier this week, Trump told European officials that he would be willing to impose sweeping new tariffs on India to push Putin and Ukraine to the negotiating table, but only if European countries do the same.

Trump made the request during a call with senior U.S. and E.U. officials in Washington, saying the U.S. would be willing to mimic tariffs put in place by Europe on any one nation.

The Impact of Economic Sanctions: A Broader Perspective

Economic sanctions are a common tool in international relations, used to influence the behavior of states by restricting their access to the global economy. However, their effectiveness is often debated, with some arguing they can be a powerful deterrent, while others point to their unintended consequences and limited impact on the targeted regime. The success of sanctions often depends on factors such as the breadth of international support, the target country's economic resilience, and the specific design of the sanctions themselves.