Here is the rewritten content in English:
United States President Donald Trump has issued a statement threatening Russia with tariffs and sanctions, amid accusations that he favors Moscow over Ukraine, the country Russia has invaded.
On his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump avoided condemning Russia’s invasion, which has been denounced as an unjustified crime of aggression under the United Nations Charter. Instead, he focused on Russia’s latest bombardment, which occurred just days after the US announced it would temporarily stop sharing military intelligence with Ukraine.
Trump wrote:
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
Trump has repeatedly stated his aim of serving as a “peacemaker” and “mediator” between Russia and Ukraine, the latter of which has been fending off a full-scale invasion since February 2022. However, Trump has increasingly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while showing an affinity for his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
During a Friday news conference at the White House, Trump described negotiations with Russia as “easier” than those with Ukraine.
“I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they don’t have the cards. It may be easier dealing with Russia.”
A History of Tension
Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy began to re-emerge shortly after Trump took office for a second term in January. There has been growing skepticism among Trump’s Republican Party about continued support for Ukraine.
Trump was previously impeached during his first term over allegations that he threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine if it did not provide damaging information about his political rivals — an issue critics say may be fueling the current discord.
In recent weeks, Trump has stepped up his criticism of Zelenskyy and attempted to steer peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in what some consider early concessions to Moscow. For example, Trump has stated it is “unlikely” Ukraine will return to its pre-2014 borders, before Russia annexed Crimea. He also dismissed Ukraine’s attempts to join NATO as a non-starter, even repeating Russian talking points that Ukraine’s bid was what started the war.
On February 12, Trump announced he had conducted a “lengthy and highly productive phone call” with Putin, and that their two countries would begin peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia. This led to outcry from traditional US allies in Europe, including Ukraine, which feared being sidelined from the private talks.
On February 19, Trump escalated tensions by calling Zelenskyy a “dictator” for not holding wartime elections. Ukraine is under martial law due to the invasion, which prohibits elections from taking place.
At the same time, Trump had been pushing Ukraine to grant the US ownership over its rare earth minerals, which include metals used in technology products. Ukraine had resisted the deal, citing a lack of security assurances.
Relations between the two leaders came to a boiling point on February 28, when Zelenskyy visited the White House to negotiate the minerals deal. A news conference in the Oval Office devolved into a shouting match, with Trump berating Zelenskyy for not being “thankful” enough for US support.
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Trump told Zelenskyy, adding, “Putin went through a hell of a lot with me.”
Russian officials applauded Trump’s remarks, and shortly afterward, Trump announced he would suspend aid to Ukraine. On Wednesday, his administration also announced it would temporarily cease sharing military intelligence that Ukraine uses to track Russian troop movements, shield against incoming missiles, and deploy its own rockets.
An Overnight Assault
In the early hours of Friday, Russia launched a barrage of missiles at Ukrainian energy facilities, seemingly taking advantage of the current defensive blind spots. Ukraine reported that while it was able to intercept Russia’s drones, it was less successful in destroying the missiles before they struck.
The attack was the motivation for Trump’s threat of sanctions, which he explained during his Oval Office appearance.
“They’re bombing the hell out of them right now,” Trump said. “I put a statement in — a very strong statement: ‘Can’t do that. You can’t do that.’ We’re trying to help them, and Ukraine has to get on the ball and get a job done.”
When pressed on whether his decision to cease intelligence-sharing with Ukraine allowed Putin to take advantage of a moment of weakness, Trump dismissed the suggestion, saying the Russian attack was a natural response to the situation.
“I think he wants to get it stopped and settled, and I think he’s hitting them harder than he’s been hitting them. And I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now. He wants to get it ended, and I think Ukraine wants to get it ended, but I don’t see —. It’s crazy. They are taking tremendous punishment. I don’t quite get it.”
Mending Fences?
In the week since the Oval Office confrontation, Ukrainian officials have attempted to mend relations with their US counterparts. Both parties are set to meet in Saudi Arabia next week.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy sent a letter to Trump, signaling he is ready to sign a deal with the US and posted similar comments on social media.
“I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace,” Zelenskyy said. “Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Trump read part of Zelenskyy’s letter aloud in front of a joint session of Congress, while criticizing the amount of money the US has invested in Ukraine’s defense.
“The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense with no security, with no anything. Do you want to keep it going for another five years?”
Friday’s threat of sanctions against Russia is the most assertive Trump has been against Moscow since the start of his second term. Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden, had issued multiple sanctions against Russia during his four years in office, including measures against its energy sector in his final days.
According to US government statistics, total US trade with Russia in 2024 was valued at about $3.5 billion, down from $36 billion in 2021, the year before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher explained that Trump’s threats of “large-scale” sanctions could be a response to pressure to take a stronger stance against Russia.
“Many people thought that Donald Trump was perhaps being too supportive of Russia, was forcing Ukraine into talks, and not putting the same level of pressure onto Russia. The United States has been leading the world under Joe Biden with sanctions. Donald Trump hasn’t implemented any new ones since he took office.”
However, it remains unclear whether Trump will follow through, especially as he is expected to meet Putin in the coming months.
For the latest updates and more news, visit ZTC News and ZNews Today. Stay informed with reliable and timely information!