Trump weighs new sanctions on Russia

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday he is "strongly considering" levying new sanctions and tariffs on Russia for its war against Ukraine, floating the possibility of new pressure on Moscow just days after he ordered a pause on U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said he was considering the action "based on the fact that Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now." He added that the prospective sanctions could remain in place until the two sides come to a ceasefire and peace settlement. The sanctions threat came as Trump faces criticism for increasing pressure on Ukraine to reach a deal while playing down or even denying Russia's responsibility for starting the war with its invasion three years ago. "To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late," Trump added in his post. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday that the U.S. has kept its sanctions in place on Russia and "will not hesitate to go all in should it provide leverage in peace negotiations." Joe Biden's administration over the course of Russia's invasion of Ukraine imposed thousands of sanctions on Russian firms, people and ships as well as a price cap on Russian oil, among other actions. Bessent called Biden's sanctions on Russian energy "egregiously weak" and "stemming from worries about upward pressure on U.S. energy prices." "Per President Trump's guidance, sanctions will be used explicitly and aggressively for immediate maximum impact," Bessent said. "They will be carefully monitored to ensure that they are achieving specific objectives." Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told reporters Friday there is still a "heck of a lot" of room to put further pressure on the Russian economy through sanctions. "President Trump is adamant that we need to get everybody to the table, and we could do that with carrots, and we could do that with sticks," Hassett said. Russia launched overnight attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities with dozens of missiles and drones, officials said Friday, hobbling the country's ability to deliver heat and light to its citizens and to power weapons factories vital to its defenses. The barrage — which also pounded residences and wounded at least 10 people — came days after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine to pressure it into accepting a peace deal being pushed by the Trump administration. Without U.S. intelligence, Ukraine's ability to strike inside Russia and defend itself from bombardment is significantly diminished. But Trump, in an exchange with reporters, shrugged off the notion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking advantage of the intelligence pause to inflict more pain on Ukraine. "I think he's doing what anybody else would," Trump said of Putin. And Trump again questioned whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is committed to getting a peace agreement to end the conflict. "It may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising, because they have all the cards, and they're bombing the hell out of them right now," Trump said. Trump is sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Saudi Arabia next week to meet with Ukrainian officials. Trump, days into his second, nonconsecutive White House term, said targeting Russia's oil revenue was the best way to get Moscow to end its nearly three-year war against Ukraine. He leaned in on the idea that OPEC+, the alliance of oil producing nations, holds the key to ending the war by reducing oil prices. But that push has been received coolly by OPEC+ nations, which include the oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Trump has had a complicated history with Putin. The Republican president has even raised the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in making the case for why he believes he can trust Putin to not restart his war on Ukraine if a truce is reached. "Putin went through a hell of a lot with me," Trump told Zelenskyy during last week's contentious Oval Office meeting that led to Trump pausing aid and intelligence with Ukraine. "He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia. Russia, Russia, Russia, ever hear of that deal?" ___ Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed reporting.