WASHINGTON/KYIV – US President Donald Trump renewed a menace to impose sanctions on Russia on Friday if there isn’t a progress towards a peaceable settlement in Ukraine in two weeks, exhibiting frustration at Moscow every week after his assembly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
“I’ll decide as to what we do and it should be, it should be a vital determination, and that is whether or not or not it is large sanctions or large tariffs or each, or we do nothing and say it is your combat,” Trump mentioned.
He mentioned he was sad about Russia’s strike on an American manufacturing unit in Ukraine this week, which brought about a fireplace that injured a number of the facility’s workers.
“I am not blissful about it, and I am not blissful about something having to do with that conflict,” Trump instructed reporters on the White Home.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the meantime, mentioned on Friday that Russia was doing all the pieces it may to forestall a gathering between him and Putin, whereas Russia’s overseas minister mentioned the agenda for such a gathering was not prepared.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly known as for Putin to satisfy him, saying it’s the solely method to negotiate an finish to the conflict.
Trump had mentioned he had begun the preparations for a Putin-Zelenskyy assembly after a name with the Russian chief on Monday that adopted their Alaska assembly on August 15.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of stalling.
“The assembly is without doubt one of the parts of how one can finish the conflict,” he mentioned on Friday at a press convention in Kyiv with NATO Secretary Basic Mark Rutte. “And since they do not need to finish it, they may search for house to (keep away from it).”
Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov instructed NBC there was no agenda for such a summit.
“Putin is able to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda could be prepared for a summit. And this agenda isn’t prepared in any respect,” he mentioned.
The assertion echoed Moscow’s established rhetoric a couple of leaders’ assembly being unimaginable until sure circumstances have been met.
Requested for his response to Lavrov’s feedback and what the subsequent steps are, Trump instructed reporters earlier on Friday: “Nicely, we’ll see. We will see if Putin and Zelenskyy will likely be working collectively. It is like oil and vinegar a bit bit.”
‘He could also be coming’
Trump had taken sanctions off the desk in preparation for his summit in Anchorage with Putin. However on the identical White Home occasion the place he talked about potential sanctions, he confirmed {a photograph} of his assembly with Putin on the crimson carpet in Alaska, saying Putin needed to attend the World Cup 2026 soccer match in the US.
“I’ll signal this for him. However I used to be despatched one, and I assumed you wish to see it, it is a man named Vladimir Putin, who I imagine will likely be coming, relying on what occurs. He could also be coming, and he might not, relying on what occurs,” Trump mentioned.
Trump’s feedback didn’t deal with the truth that Russia was banned from worldwide competitions such because the World Cup after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has not taken half in qualification for the 2026 match, which will likely be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
Throughout a go to to a nuclear analysis middle on Friday, Putin mentioned Trump’s management qualities would assist restore US-Russia relations.
“With the arrival of President Trump, I feel {that a} mild on the finish of the tunnel has lastly loomed. And now we had an excellent, significant and frank assembly in Alaska,” Putin mentioned.
1000’s of Ukrainian civilians have been killed within the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Russia launched in 2022. Analysts estimate that greater than one million troopers on each side have been killed or wounded and combating is constant unabated, with each side additionally attacking power amenities.
Russia has maintained its longstanding demand for Ukraine to surrender land it nonetheless holds in two japanese areas whereas proposing to freeze the entrance line in two extra southerly areas Moscow claims absolutely as its personal and presumably hand again small items of different Ukrainian territory it controls.
Zelenskyy in the meantime has dropped his demand for a prolonged ceasefire as a prerequisite for a leaders’ assembly, though he has beforehand mentioned Ukraine can’t negotiate beneath the barrel of a gun.
On the press convention with Rutte, Zelenskyy mentioned that they had mentioned safety ensures for Ukraine. He mentioned the ensures must be just like NATO’s Article 5, which considers an assault on one member of the alliance as an assault in opposition to all.
Rutte mentioned NATO allies and Ukraine are working collectively to make sure safety ensures are robust sufficient that Russia won’t ever attempt to assault once more.
“Sturdy safety ensures will likely be important, and that is what we are actually engaged on to outline,” he mentioned. —Reuters