Trump Warns of ‘Economic War’ If Putin Refuses Peace With Ukraine

US President Donald Trump has warned of what he called an “economic war” against Russia if efforts to secure a peace deal with President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fail.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Bloomberg.

Speaking at a White House cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said he had “very serious” consequences in mind if Moscow refuses to move forward with peace talks. 

“It will not be a world war, but it’ll be an economic war, and an economic war is going to be bad. It’s going to be bad for Russia, and I don’t want that,” Trump said.

He stressed that the measures he has in mind are severe but would only be triggered if diplomacy fails.

Trump’s comments came in response to questions over whether he had set a deadline for Putin to agree to direct negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before Washington escalates sanctions.

The U.S. leader has already slapped a double 50% tariff on Indian imports in retaliation for New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil, though he has so far held off on similar moves against China and other nations.  He reiterated that countries financing Moscow through energy trade could also face penalties.

At the same time, Trump dismissed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is “illegitimate,” calling such remarks nothing more than “showmanship.” 

Expressing frustration with the ongoing Russian strikes on Ukraine, Trump noted that fresh attacks followed shortly after his latest call with Putin. “Everybody’s posturing,” Trump added, acknowledging the difficulty of the negotiation.

As The Gaze reported earlier, representatives of the U.S. and Russian governments quietly discussed potential energy deals this month as part of efforts to advance peace talks over Ukraine.