U.S. President Donald Trump announced his readiness to move to the “second stage” of sanctions against Russia due to its aggression against Ukraine. He has not yet disclosed details regarding potential new sanctions.
This is reported by Finway
Discussion of the war and diplomatic initiatives
In a conversation with reporters, Trump stated that several European leaders will visit Washington early this week for talks on ways to peacefully resolve the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. The U.S. President also expressed his intention to hold negotiations with Vladimir Putin in the near future. According to U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff, Trump is open to a trilateral meeting involving the leaders of Ukraine and Russia. Meanwhile, the Kremlin stated that they are unaware of such plans.
International reaction to the escalation of the war
Commenting on the recent massive airstrike by Russia on Ukraine, Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the developments and emphasized that he is confident in the possibility of ending the war soon. Otherwise, the U.S. President warned, there will be a “high price to pay” for it.
“I am shocked by the latest brutal nighttime attack on Kyiv and all of Ukraine. These cowardly strikes show that Putin believes he can act with impunity. He is not serious about peace. Now, more than ever, we must stand firm in support of Ukraine and its sovereignty,” emphasized Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg stated that the Russian strike on a government building in Kyiv does not indicate Moscow’s readiness for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict, but rather is a sign of further escalation from Russia.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called on the global community to exert maximum pressure on Russia, noting that Putin has not yet come to terms with the need to achieve peace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that Putin is merely pretending to be uninterested in peace; however, increased pressure from the international community could force Russia to agree to end the war.