Wia dis foto come from, EPA
Donald Trump don give warning say im go impose high tariffs and put more sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin fail to end di war for Ukraine.
On im social media platform Truth Social, Oga Trump say pushing to settle di war, im dey do Russia and dia president a “very big favour”.
Trump bin tok am bifor say im go negotiate settlement for Russia full-scale invasion wey dem launch for February 2022.
Russia neva respond to di post, but senior officials tok say small window of opportunity dey for Moscow to deal wit di new US administration.
Putin don repeatedly tok say im dey prepared to negotiate to end di war, wey first start for 2014, but Ukraine must accept di reality of Russian territorial gains, wey currently be about 20% of dia land.
E also no gree to allow Ukraine join Nato, di military alliance of Western kontris.
Kyiv no wan give up dia territory, although President Volodymyr Zelensky don accept say im fit leave some land wey dem currently dey occupy temporarily.
On Tuesday, Trump tell one news conference say im go follow Putin tok “very soon” and e “sound likely” say im go apply more sanctions if di Russian leader no gree settle.
I dey do Russia big favour – Trump
But for im Truth Social post di next day, e go further to say: “I wan do Russia, wey dia Economy dey fail, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR,” e write.
“Settle now, and STOP dis ridiculous War! E GO ONLY GET WORSE. If we no make a ‘deal’, and soon, I no go get any oda choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anytin wey Russia sell give United States, and various oda participating kontris.”
E add say: “Make we put end for dis war, wey no suppose even start if to say I be President! We fit do am di easy way, or di hard way – and di easy way always dey better. Na time to ‘MAKE A DEAL’.”
Wia dis foto come from, EPA
Trump former special representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, say Trump threat of more serious sanctions on Russia “na signal to Vladimir Putin say tins go get worse, not better”. E tell BBC Radio 4 Today programme, say: “We gatz ginger Putin to say, ‘OK, time don actually reach to get ceasefire.'”
Russia deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy bin earlier tell Reuters news agency say Kremlin go need know wetin Trump want for inside a deal to stop di war bifor di kontri move forward.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tell di World Economic Forum on Tuesday say dem go need at least 200,000 peacekeepers under any agreement.
And e tell Bloomberg say any peacekeeping force for im kontri go need to include US troops to pose realistic restriction to Russia.
“Di deal no go hold without di United States… Even if some European friends think odawise, no, e no go happun,” e tok and add say, no-one else would go risk dat kain move without di US.
While Ukraine leaders fit appreciate dis tougher-talking Trump – dem don always tok am say di only thing wey Putin understand na strength – di initial reaction for Kyiv to US president comments suggest say na action pipo dey for, no be words.
Trump neva tok di exact economic penalties dem dey target, or wen. Russian imports to di US don fall since 2022 and different kain heavy restrictions don already dey in place.
Currently, di main Russian exports to di US na phosphate-based fertilisers and platinum.
On social media, Trump post don cause plenty tok-tok. Many suggest say more sanctions go be weak reply to Russian aggression. But di biggest kwesion for most na wetin Putin actually dey open to discuss wit Ukraine for any peace toks.
For Moscow, some pipo don dey see signs say Kremlin fit dey ready Russians to accept less dan di “victory” dem once imagine, wey include tanks rolling all di way west to di southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa.
TV editor Margarita Simonyan, wey be pro-Putin, don dey tok of “realistic” conditions for ending di war, wey she suggest fit include stopping di fight along di current frontline.
Dat one go mean say di four Ukrainian regions wey Putin illegally pronounce as Russian territory more dan two years ago, including Zaporizhzhia, wey Kyiv still dey control partially.
Russian hardliners, di so-called “Z” bloggers, dey para for dat kain “defeatism”.
Trump position mata. But afta 11 years of war wit Russia plus history of poor peace deals, Ukrainians no too dey hopeful.
