Trump's tough ultimatum to Russia

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose high tariffs, major sanctions or both on Russia within the next two weeks if the Russia-Ukraine war does not end quickly.

He made the warning during a meeting with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday (August 22).

Expressing his anger over the recent Russian missile attack that destroyed a US government-owned factory in Ukraine, Trump said, "I am not happy about this incident at all. Not just this incident, I am not happy about anything related to this war."

He also said, "In the next two weeks, we will try to find a way to resolve this crisis. If that is possible, then I will be happy. But if a solution is not found, then I will have to make a very important decision about Russia. It could be high tariffs, major sanctions or both."

The Russia-Ukraine war has been going on for the past three and a half years. Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, USA, on August 15 to end the war. Three days later, on August 18, he also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the US initiative as an attempt to put pressure on Russia. He claimed that Trump's meeting with European leaders was a "clumsy attempt" to put pressure on Russia.

Source: Reuters, The Guardian, AFP