 "Trump considering new sanctions on Russia, removing all limits on Ukraine's weapons: Reports")
In a sign of growing frustration with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump is considering imposing new sanctions on Russia and removing all limits on Ukraine’s use of weapons in the war, according to reports.
The developments come at a time when Trump has increasingly expressed frustration with Putin over continuous rejection of peace proposals, dismissal of peace talks, and increasing missile and drone attacks in recent days that have killed dozens in Ukraine. Trump on Sunday said Putin has “gone absolutely crazy” and has no idea “what the hell” happened to him.
Trump further said, “I’m not happy with what Putin is doing. He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin.”
Hours after Trump’s remarks, Putin launched the largest aerial attack on Ukraine so far with 257 missiles and drones that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens. Since last weekend before the Trump-Putin call, Russia has launched around 1,000 missiles and drones and have killed dozens in Ukraine.
Trump considering new sanctions on Russia: Report
Trump is considering imposing new sanctions on Russia out of frustration with Putin’s lack of will to make peace in Ukraine, according to Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper reported that new sanctions are unlikely to include banking sanctions and it is also possible that Trump may not decide to impose sanctions at all.
If Trump walks back on sanctions again, it would be the latest instance of him issuing empty threats that don’t mean nothing.
So far, Trump has not put any pressure on Putin despite the Russian leader rejecting every ceasefire proposal, peace offer, and defying Trump’s personal calls to curtail attacks on civilians and come to the negotiating table. Instead, Trump has rewarded Russia by accepting Putin’s demands and opening talks for a bilateral reset. Trump has also continued to trash Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the defender, for seeking to buy air defence systems and calling Putin names.
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The Journal reported that the purpose of sanctions would be to pressure Putin into coming to the negotiating table.
The newspaper further reported that Trump is also getting tired from the lack of any meaningful progress in peace talks and may decide to end efforts altogether — he has already ended the erstwhile shuttle diplomacy .
The end of mediation efforts would play into Putin’s hands. One of the main reasons behind prolonging the conflict with participation in low-level peace talks is to tire out Ukraine’s supporters.
Trump considering removing limits on Ukraine’s use of weapons: Report
Kyiv Post has reported two senior Western officials as saying that Trump is “seriously considering” removing all limits on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons.
The development comes a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom had decided to remove restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western long-range weapons.
“All the previously imposed restrictions —whether already eased or not— are currently under the review as President [Trump] believes that the current status-quo does not serve our common interests of bringing Russia to the [negotiation] table,” one official told Kyiv Post.
If Trump actually green-lights the removal of all limits, it would mean that Ukraine could hit any target anywhere in Russia with Western weapons.
Jorge Rivero, a US-based Russia-Ukraine specialist, told Kyiv Post that the relaxation would allow Ukraine to “target military installations within Russian territory, including airbases responsible for launching Geran-2 drones and strategic bombers that have conducted sustained strikes against Ukrainian cities”.
Rivero further said, “This policy shift could further authorize Ukrainian forces to engage Russian command and control nodes, as well as logistical arteries deep inside Russia, with precision-guided munitions."
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So far, Ukraine was allowed to use Western weapons up to a certain range inside Russia. It was only in the final weeks of his presidency that previous US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use Western weapons inside Russia.
To be sure, Trump has neither donated nor sold any weapon to Ukraine so far. Instead, he has trashed Zelenskyy for wanting to buy Patriot air defence systems that are critical to taking down Russian missiles.
The Kyiv Post further reported an official as saying that Trump would finalise the decision on the issue as well as next phase of support to Ukraine after the administration’s meetings with German officials this week.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected to visit the Washington DC this week.
Wadephul on Monday said that that Putin “doesn’t want peace, he wants to continue the war, and we cannot allow him to do that”. He sounded hopeful that the Trump administration would be onboard with the next round of sanctions being prepared by European countries.
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