Trump tells Putin to reach Ukraine 'deal' soon or US will increase sanctions.

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Donald Trump has warned Vladimir Putin that the United States is ready to punish Russia with new trade restrictions if Moscow fails to reach an agreement soon to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump’s statement on True social post On Wednesday, the president tried to pressure Moscow to start negotiations with Ukraine.

It was his first broad statement on the conflict since returning to the White House for a second term after pledging on the campaign trail to end the war within 24 hours of returning to office.

“If we don’t make a ‘deal’ and soon, I have no choice but to impose taxes, tariffs and sanctions on everything Russia sells to the United States and various other participating countries. Trump wrote.

“Let’s end this war that would never have started if I were president!” We can do it the easy way or the hard way – and the easy way is always the best,” he continued.

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But Trump administration officials believe there are more ways for the United States to squeeze Russia financially, particularly by targeting the energy sector.

The Biden administration has been reluctant to ban Russian oil and gas exports for fear of disrupting global energy markets. Under the previous president, Washington imposed some restrictions on liquefied natural gas projects in Russia and proposed an international price reform for Russian oil, which Moscow was able to pass.

During Trump’s confirmation hearing for Treasury Secretary last week, Scott Besant told Congress that he would be “100 percent on the steps to bring the Russian Federation to the table, especially with the sanctions against Russian oil companies.” .

Besant added that he believes the US sanctions imposed on Russia by Biden are “not enough.”

Trump, who has doubts about US military aid to Ukraine, said he expected to meet with Putin soon, and the Kremlin court said the Russian leader was ready to sit down with the US president, but no summit was scheduled.

In his article, Trump said that he did not want to “hurt” Russia, referring to his “good relationship with President Putin”, but that he would do him a “favor” by pushing him to reach an agreement.

Hours after being sworn in on Monday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Putin was “destroying Russia” by continuing to wage war in Ukraine.

But the president’s announcement shows his frustration that Moscow is not heeding his calls for reconciliation.

A senior Ukrainian official close to President Volodymyr Zelensky said to Trump: “Putin does not want to end the war and he does not want to be pressured into peace.”

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for the Ukraine war, told Fox News earlier this month that he hoped to find a solution within “100 days.”

Kellogg postponed the trip earlier this month to hold meetings with top officials in Kiev, according to people familiar with the plans. People said the envoy delayed the visit because Trump had not developed a plan to bring the Russians to negotiations and end the war.

Kellogg is expected to visit Kiev next month, but Ukrainians may first meet him and other members of Trump’s team in Washington.

David Arakamia, head of the Zelenskyi party faction in the Ukrainian parliament, said the Kiev delegation planned to meet with members of the new administration in the US capital in the coming days.

He told Ukrainian television on Tuesday that “active contacts between the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation and the new Trump team could begin at the Ukraine Week in Washington in early February.”