U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a temporary suspension of new sanctions against Russia, saying he wants to preserve the possibility of reaching a peace deal with President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. The statement comes amid escalating military activity on the frontlines and mounting pressure from both Congress and NATO allies.
“If I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up by doing that,” Trump said Wednesday during a briefing at the White House. “Let me tell you, I’m a lot tougher than the people you’re talking about.”
Conditional Peace Plan and Diplomatic Pause
According to Trump, he is willing to consider any step that might lead to peace and remains open to a potential summit involving himself, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he indicated that it’s too early to make any definitive predictions.
“Is Putin interested in a peace deal? I can’t tell you that, but I think you’ll know in about two weeks,” Trump told reporters.
At the same time, the President did not hide his frustration with Russia’s actions. He condemned recent Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including the largest drone attack of the war.
“I’m very disappointed in what happened a couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation,” Trump said. “I’m very, very disappointed.”
Pressure From Congress: “Sanctions Like Those Against Harvard”
As the situation on the ground worsens and negotiations stall, Trump is facing strong criticism from Republican lawmakers. Senior GOP Senator Chuck Grassley has publicly demanded more decisive action from the President.
“I’ve had enuf of Putin killing innocent ppl. Pres Trump Take action — AT LEAST SANCTIONS,” Grassley posted on X (formerly Twitter).
In a follow-up post, he added:
“Pres Trump shld take the decisive action agst Putin that he takes agst Harvard. Sanctions for Putin like no fed grants for Harvard.”
Ukraine Requests Funds and a Summit
In response to the ongoing Russian attacks, President Zelensky has appealed to allies for $30 billion in financial support to expand Ukraine’s domestic weapons production. He also proposed a meeting with both Trump and Putin to break the diplomatic deadlock.
According to Bloomberg, Trump did not rule out participating in such a summit if it would help move peace talks forward:
“I wish it would have been that way a couple of months ago,” he said. “But at this point we’re working on President Putin, and we’ll see where we are.”
Kremlin Pushback: Trump “Not Well-Informed”
Meanwhile, Moscow responded to Trump’s statements. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov dismissed the U.S. president’s criticism, claiming that Trump is “not well-informed” about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory. His comments were shared via a Telegram post by a Russian state television journalist.
A Strategic Pause or a Sign of Weakness?
In effect, the United States has announced a diplomatic pause on further sanctions, betting on the potential for progress in negotiations. According to Bloomberg, Trump is trying to balance his image as a “tough leader” with the ambition to go down in history as the peacemaker who ended Europe’s deadliest war of the 21st century.
However, critics warn that delaying sanctions could be perceived as a sign of weakness — especially as Russia intensifies its military operations.
For now, the global political stage remains in suspense, awaiting the promised “two weeks” that — according to the president — could determine the future course of the war in Ukraine.
This article was prepared based on materials published by Bloomberg. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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