Kellogg: US President Trump Ready to Double Sanctions to Force Russia to End War in Ukraine

US President Donald Trump is ready to increase sanctions against Russia to end its war against Ukraine. Keith Kellogg, the US President's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said this in an interview with the New York Post, Ukrinform reports.

‘We can significantly strengthen sanctions (against Russia - ed.) - especially the latest sanctions (on oil production and exports - ed.). This greatly opens up opportunities to do something. And if anyone understands the leverage, it is President Donald Trump. You can see that based on what he has done recently,’ he said.

According to Kellogg, the current sanctions against Russia are rated a ‘three’ on a scale of one to 10 in terms of how painful the economic pressure can be. 

The US sanctions themselves, for example, against Russia's lucrative energy sector, are nominally twice as high, but there is still room for them to be strengthened.

He added that the entire US administration is working to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian war.

‘We have a national security team - the president, the vice president, the national security adviser, the Secretary of State and the head of the Treasury, the White House National Security Council - working together,’ Kellogg said.

At the same time, the US special envoy noted that Ukraine will need to continue military pressure on Russia ahead of the talks.

He also criticised the strategy of former President Joe Biden, who promised to provide Ukraine with assistance ‘as long as it takes’ without increasing pressure on other elements of the Russian government.

‘That's not a strategy, that's a bumper sticker,’ he said.

According to Kellogg, it is not enough to exert pressure through military means alone.

‘You have to put economic pressure. You have to put diplomatic pressure,’ he added.

US Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said that US President Donald Trump is considering various levers of pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, including economic ones.