Hit Russia & Co. with ‘extreme’ sanctions NOW – Latest News
President Donald Trump is aware of the Ukraine struggle is a horror show and bloody tyrant Vladimir Putin has been “tapping us along” — but the prez nonetheless delays the “very severe” sanctions on Russia and its trading companions that will squeeze Moscow’s economic system enough to power it to the desk.
“Russia is, in fact, losing this war,” Trump particular envoy Gen. Keith Kellogg stated Monday, paying an insane and unsustainable price in blood for each yard of ground his forces gain: “If he was winning, he’d be in Kyiv. If he’s winning, he’d be west of the Dnipro River.”
Kellog and USAF Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, each report they instructed Trump this earlier than the prez’s sitdown with Putin in Alaska.
Russia’s seen a million casualties since November 2022, to gain much less than 1% of Ukrainian territory; it’s now bleeding as badly to advance a few toes on the entrance in Donbas and Donetsk.
Putin pretends he’s profitable, however retains resorting to desperation terror techniques — relentless drone and missile barrages geared toward civilians behind the traces; sending drones into Poland time and again to raise fears of a a lot wider struggle.
Yet our president simply stated it’s nonetheless up to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to “make a deal” — when Putin received’t even discuss except Kyiv successfully surrenders first.
Trump’s talked for months about “very severe” sanctions to get Putin to barter, but on Saturday he added a new situation: He’s “ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA.”
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“I am ready to ‘go’ when you are,” Trump added. “Just say when?”
But Europe principally has gone: It has already curbed Russian oil imports by 90% because the begin of the struggle, whereas even the United States nonetheless buys some provides from Russia — fertilizer, palladium, uranium — totaling $3 billion in 2024.
By citing NATO, the prez primarily is focusing on Turkey, the world’s third-largest importer of Russian oil — but he is aware of autocrat Recep Tayyip Erdogan received’t stop shopping for anytime quickly.
If that’s Trump’s excuse for holding off, his threats are hole.
China shipped $160 billion to Russia final yr for items, together with $63 billion for oil; if most of Europe will be a part of the US in sanctioning Beijing for that commerce, it’ll stop — and Putin’s economic system and struggle machine will grind to a halt.
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It’s been 9 weeks since Trump vowed these “very severe” penalties if Moscow didn’t bend within 10 days.
The Alaska summit didn’t show the breakthrough that Putin had led Team Trump to count on; Vlad received’t meet with Zelensky and has solely stepped up his bombing of Ukraine’s civilians and launched his Polish drone gambit.
Congress — 85 senators — is itching to impose new sanctions on nations that buy oil from Russia, however Republicans need Trump to provide the inexperienced mild first . . . and now he’s passing the buck to Erdogan?
Keep discovering excuses to not make good in your threats, and also you tank your own credibility.
Tell the Senate it’s time, Mr. President: Make Putin really feel the ache you’ve promised.
