Washington, September 7: U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he is prepared to move to a second phase of sanctions against Russia, the strongest indication yet that Washington may escalate measures targeting Moscow or its oil buyers over the war in Ukraine.
Trump, who has repeatedly threatened more sanctions while pursuing peace talks, stopped short of detailing what a “phase two” would involve. Asked at the White House if he was ready to move forward, he replied, “Yeah, I am,” but offered no elaboration.
The president has grown increasingly frustrated with his inability to halt the fighting in Ukraine, after predicting he could swiftly end the conflict when he took office in January. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what new steps were under consideration.
On Wednesday, Trump defended his record, citing last month’s punitive tariffs on India’s U.S.-bound exports. India is a major buyer of Russian energy, and Western imports have declined since the war began.
“That cost hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia,” Trump said. “You call that no action? And I haven’t done phase two yet or phase three.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that the United States and the European Union could impose “secondary tariffs” on countries purchasing Russian oil, a move he suggested could push Russia’s economy to the brink of collapse and force President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
China remains among the largest buyers of Russian energy exports.
