President Donald Trump on Thursday issued a stark warning to Moscow, condemning Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine as “disgusting” and threatening a fresh round of economic penalties if the Kremlin does not halt its offensive by the end of next week.
“Russia — I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I think it’s disgusting,” Trump told reporters, responding to reports that Moscow’s latest strikes on Kyiv had killed more than two dozen people earlier in the day.
The president reiterated a deadline that Washington has given to Moscow: cease hostilities in Ukraine or face “severe economic sanctions.” “We’re going to put sanctions. I don’t know that sanctions bother him,” Trump said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump also hinted at expanding the pressure beyond Russia itself, noting that prior threats included “secondary tariffs” that would target Russia’s remaining major trade partners such as China and India — a move that, while intended to further isolate Moscow, carries the risk of broader international economic disruption.
In a development that underscores his administration’s complex engagement with the Kremlin, Trump said he would soon dispatch his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, currently in the Middle East, to travel to Russia. Witkoff has met with President Putin multiple times in Moscow in the past, before the president’s earlier efforts to reset relations with the Kremlin faltered.
Trump began his second term with optimistic predictions that the war in Ukraine — which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022 — would be brought to a swift conclusion. Thursday’s remarks signal a shift toward a more confrontational posture if Moscow fails to comply with the ultimatum.
