Donald Trump, President of the United States, has warned of tougher sanctions against Russia, following the largest aerial assault by Moscow on Ukraine. During a nine-hour attack between Saturday night and early Sunday, Russian forces launched 810 drones and 13 missiles, which killed at least four people, including an infant, and destroyed Ukraine’s cabinet complex in Kyiv the first strike on the building in more than three years. High-rise apartments were also damaged.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Trump called the situation a “terrible waste of humanity,” confirming that he is prepared to move to a “second phase” of sanctions on Moscow. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that new measures could include secondary sanctions on countries that procure Russian oil, indicating that sanctions could push the already at-risk Russian economy to “collapse,” forcing Vladimir Putin to compromise.
The action follows Trump’s imposition a month ago of a 50% tariff on Indian goods due to New Delhi’s ongoing buys of Russian oil. While Trump personally praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he criticized India’s energy trade with Russia.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy endorsed the sanctions initiative, calling on partners to halt purchasing Russian oil and gas. European leaders Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen condemned Russia’s latest attacks as reckless and destabilizing. While Trump attempted to be diplomatic with both Zelenskyy and Putin, no progress has been made toward a peace agreement and Russia continues to pound Ukraine.
