Trump calls for Putin to do a deal’ to end Ukraine war

US president Donald Trump has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year-old war Russia launched against Ukraine, and is threatening to impose further sanctions on Moscow if the Russian leader does not acquiesce.

- ANDREW FEINBERG

In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and expressed “love” for the Russian people while boasting of his “very good relationship” with Putin – who in 2016 ordered what the Department of Justice called a “sweeping and systematic” effort to interfere in the presidential election on Mr Trump’s behalf.

Mr Trump also noted that the former Soviet Union lost 60 million people when it allied itself against Nazi Germany and with the US and the UK during the Second World War. “All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump said.

The president added a threat that if a “deal” was not reached “soon” he would have “no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries”.