U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would impose strong sanctions on Russia if there is no peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
On the 26th (local time), President Trump, while receiving questions from reporters at the Cabinet meeting at the White House, said, "We want (the war) to end" and added, "We have economic sanctions measures." He continued, "If I have to take action, what comes to mind are very strong measures."
He also noted, "Let's make it an economic war, not a world war," and added, "Economic war would be bad, and it would be bad for Russia." However, he did not disclose specific methods for sanctions.
The United States is considering not only imposing high tariffs on Russia but also secondary sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil. Earlier, Vice President JD Vance referred to this as "a way of negotiation," stating, "We want to see if there is consensus with the parties after the measures are taken and we converse with them."
President Trump has been participating as a mediator for a Russia-Ukraine peace agreement, coordinating meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European Union (EU) leaders. However, there has yet to be any clear progress.
On that day, President Trump told reporters, "Zelensky is not necessarily pure either," and said, "It takes two to tango." This comment is interpreted as suggesting that the Ukrainian side's influence is a reason for the stagnation in peace negotiations.