Trump urges Russia to ‘make a deal’ on Ukraine war; signals fresh sanctions
US President Donald Trump said at the G7 summit on Tuesday that Russia should "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine and signalled
US President Donald Trump said at the G7 summit on Tuesday that Russia should "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine and signalled that Washington could soon reimpose sanctions on Russian oil, as leaders of the world's major economies agreed to step up pressure on Moscow to bring the conflict to an end.Speaking after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the summit in the French resort of Evian-les-Bains, Trump indicated growing impatience with the Kremlin despite his previous efforts to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin. The comments came as G7 leaders discussed fresh measures targeting Russia's energy sector and explored ways to push forward peace efforts, including the possibility of a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin."Russia should make a deal" to end the war against Ukraine, Trump said after his talks with Zelensky.Referring to the human cost of the conflict, now in its fifth year, Trump added: "The whole thing is ridiculous. So, yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can." He also suggested that the United States would soon be in a position to restore sanctions on Russian oil exports after previously extending a waiver for cargoes already at sea."Soon we will be able to do that as the oil is now flowing" through the Strait of Hormuz after the deal with Iran to end the Middle East war, he said.The remarks aligned with a broader push by G7 leaders to tighten economic pressure on Moscow.
A French diplomatic source said leaders had agreed to increase pressure through sanctions targeting Russia's oil and gas sectors.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was broad agreement among G7 nations on the need to maintain pressure on Russia as developments on the battlefield shifted the strategic landscape."Ukraine has shown that it's able not just to defend itself but to take territory back and inflict quite significant losses on Russia," Starmer told Times Radio.He added that Britain would impose a new package of sanctions, including measures against tankers involved in transporting liquefied natural gas, in an effort to force Moscow towards ending the war."There is a real sense of unity in the G7, a sort of shared consensus that things are changing," Starmer said.Trump's meeting with Zelensky was closely watched as the US president has pursued a more direct line of communication with Putin while simultaneously facing calls from European allies to take a tougher stance on Russia.Zelensky used the summit to renew his appeal for stronger sanctions, arguing that economic pressure remained the most effective tool for compelling Moscow to negotiate."Above all Putin does not want to end this, but he must be forced...
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