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Trump’s comments came after Putin vowed to carry on fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached.
US President Donald Trump (Reuters Image)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hinted at imposing fresh Russia sanctions if it fails to end its Ukraine war, saying “you’ll see things happen” if he will be “unhappy” with President Vladimir Putin’s response.
“I have no message to President Putin, he knows where I stand, and he’ll make a decision one way or the other,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding, “Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy. And if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”
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Trump will also speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, a White House official said to AFP. The US President will also speak to European leaders.
Trump’s comments came after Putin, who recently attended China’s Victory Day Military Parade in Beijing with Xi Jinping of China and Kim Jong Un of North Korea, vowed to carry on fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached.
The US president’s diplomatic efforts seem to have stalled as Putin has shown little inclination to agree to a two-way meeting that Trump said he was arranging between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
Meanwhile, Trump has rejected suggestions that he was soft on Moscow — citing recent secondary sanctions on India for buying Russian oil. “You call that no action? And I haven’t done phase two and phase three yet,” added Trump.
“I’m having a conversation with him very shortly and I’ll know pretty much what we’re going to be doing,” Trump said in response to a question from an AFP reporter.
A White House official later told AFP: “President Trump was referring to Zelensky. They will be speaking tomorrow.”
Zelensky said earlier Wednesday that he hoped to push Trump for new sanctions.
(With agency inputs)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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