US President Donald Trump warned Russia that the US could “do very bad things” if necessary, but added, “we won’t, because ultimately it wants peace in Ukraine.” His comments came after a tense meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as efforts continue to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Trump expressed hope that pressure won’t be needed but warned, “there are things you can do that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense,” which would be “very bad for Russia.” Still, he emphasized, “I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace.”
Speaking about ceasefire talks, Trump said, “We’ve gotten half of it as a ceasefire,” with Ukraine agreeing, and now “it’s up to Russia.” He added, “People are going to Russia right now as we speak,” hoping to stop “this horrible bloodbath.”
Trump also mentioned his past sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline, calling them “the toughest ever.” He added, “They never took anything from me. They took them from Obama and Bush, and they took from sleepy Joe Biden.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy tweeted, “Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.”