President Donald Trump on Friday, after denouncing Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine and threatening sanctions until he stopped attacking, also said he thought Vladimir Putin would be “generous” in peace conversations and described Ukraine as “difficult.”
Answer the questions of the journalists in the Oval office, Trump, while repeating that threat of sanctions that he published earlier in the day, had positive words about the Russian president.
“He wants to finish the war and once ended, and I think it will be more generous than it has to be. And that is quite good,” Trump said.
When asked if he still believed Putin when he told him that he wanted peace, Trump replied yes.
“Yes. No, I believe him, I think. I think we are doing very well with Russia,” he said. “But at this time, they are bombing Ukraine and Ukraine. I am, I find it more difficult, frankly, deal with Ukraine. They do not have the letters.”
President Donald Trump offers comments at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on March 7, 2025.
Chris Kleponis/Pool/EPA-EFE/ShuttersTock
Hours before, after the Russian forces launched missiles and drones to Ukraine, Trump threatened Russia on Friday with sanctions and tariffs until he negotiated a high fire and peace agreement.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘hitting’ Ukraine on the battlefield at this time, I am strongly considering large -scale bank sanctions, sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a fire agreement and a final agreement on peace is reached. Russia and Ukraine, reach the table right now, before it is too late.
President Donald Trump in Washington, on March 6, 2025 and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 7, 2025.
EPA-EFE/Shuttersock/AP
Russia’s main attack against Ukraine included 261 missiles and drones that went to the energy and gas infrastructure in several regions, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Biden administration issued sanctions previously to Russia after Ukraine invaded three years ago.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington, on February 28, 2025.
Saul Loeb/AFP through Getty Images
The Trump administration also stopped the aid and military intelligence data with Ukraine this week, after the explosive argument last week between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump and vice president JD Vance in the Oval office.
Zelenskyy backed Trump and Vance during the meeting and reiterated that Putin has returned to negotiations and has harmed his country.
Trump was asked if Putin was taking advantage of the void left by the United States who dropped his help to Ukraine.
“I think he is doing what anyone else would do. I think he is hitting them stronger. He wants him to end. I think Ukraine wants to finish, but I don’t know,” said the president, added that the war should not have begun.
Trump also reiterated his position that he was willing to stop helping Ukraine completely.
“I have to know what they want to settle. I don’t know if they want to settle. If they don’t want to settle, we are out of there, because we want them to settle,” he said about Ukraine.
