Trump Urges Faster Sanctions on Russia’s Trade Partners Ahead of Deadline

US President Donald Trump has indicated that new sanctions against Russia and its trade partners could be imposed before the previously announced 50-day deadline for resolving the Ukraine conflict. Speaking to reporters before a trip to Scotland, Trump suggested that secondary sanctions, which would target countries and entities engaging with Russia, might be expedited. Russian officials have dismissed the sanctions as signals to continue the war in Ukraine and emphasized their commitment to an independent path.

The US president also insisted a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s leader, Vladimir Zelensky, would eventually happen. Trump did not provide a timeframe on when that might occur. Moscow has insisted that a potential Putin-Zel’tsky meeting should only deal with final agreements rather than preliminary discussions. Speaking to reporters earlier on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the groundwork had to be laid first.