US President Donald Trump said he intends to stop the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and stressed that Washington is working closely with leaders on both sides.
He said the process is moving much faster than the public believes, Sky News reports.
The American leader focused particular attention on pressure on Russia. Trump recalled that he recently signed a congressional bill on Ukraine that grants him new powers to impose sanctions. The document is intended to significantly tighten sanctions against Russia, and Trump said he would use this tool “if necessary”.
In addition, the US president thanked his wife Melania for her efforts to bring home Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
- In recent days, US lawmakers gave final approval to a bill authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which grants Trump the authority to impose “hellish sanctions” on Russia’s trading partners.
- The bill not only gives the president the right to introduce a 100% tariff on the value of goods against countries that trade energy resources with Russia, but also provides for direct sanctions against the aggressor state — officials, banks and the shadow fleet. It also separately предусматривает sanctions measures against Iran.
- Democrats voiced concern that the law gives Trump overly broad powers on tariffs while not guaranteeing pressure on Russia, as the president could refuse to apply sanctions altogether.