President Trump on Sunday declared he is ready to move ahead with a new round of sanctions against Russia after it pummeled Ukraine with its largest air strike since the war began.
Trump, asked by reporters whether he is ready to move to the “second stage” of sanctions against Russia, replied yes.
Trump, speaking from the White House lawn ahead of his departure to the US Open in New York City later Sunday, did not specify what he envisions as the “second stage” of sanctions against Russia.
Before his summit with Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin last month in Alaska, Trump had threatened to impose a suite of blistering fresh sanctions and tariffs targeting countries that import Russian oil.
The move is intended to damage a critical revenue source that the Russians have used to keep their economy afloat from Western sanctions over the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.
Trump left the meeting with Putin last month sounding optimistic about a path toward brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine. But in the time since, Russia has continued to hammer Ukraine, including on Sunday.
Overnight, Russia unleashed at least 810 drones and decoys in a massive attack that killed at least four people and injured 44 — while targeting Ukraine’s central government building in Kyiv for the first time.
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