President Donald Trump has admitted that potential new U.S. sanctions on Russia may ultimately be ineffective, but insists that his administration will proceed with imposing them regardless, unless a deal to end the Ukraine conflict is reached soon. Earlier this week, Trump significantly shortened the original 50-day window for Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace settlement to just ten days, warning that failure to do so would trigger sweeping penalties, potentially including 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s trade partners.
During a press conference on Thursday, Trump commented on the potential impact of the sanctions, stating, “We’re going to put sanctions. I don’t know that sanctions bother him. They know about sanctions, I know better than anybody about sanctions, and tariffs, and everything else. I don’t know if that has any effect, but we’re going to do it.” This statement highlights Trump’s position on using sanctions as a means to exert pressure on Russia, even if he is unsure of their effectiveness.
Additionally, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to travel to Russia after visiting Israel and Gaza, with no specific timeline provided. However, Witkoff has previously met with Putin on several occasions during past diplomatic efforts. The acting U.S. envoy to the U.N., John Kelley, confirmed that Trump expects a ceasefire by August 8, as the president has increasingly expressed frustration with Moscow’s position in recent weeks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that Moscow has taken note of Trump’s comments but downplayed the threat, emphasizing that Russia has adapted to the sanctions and cannot be intimidated. “We have been living under a huge number of sanctions for quite a long time,” Peskov said on Wednesday. “Of course, a certain immunity has already developed.” He reiterated that Russia remains committed to peace but on terms that respect its interests and “new territorial realities.”
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which began with the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev and escalated in 2022, has resulted in Russia becoming the most sanctioned country in the world, with over 10,000 restrictions imposed primarily by the U.S. and EU. Putin has stated that the sanctions have largely failed, arguing that Moscow has adapted economically and cannot be intimidated.