“Putin has killed many people; sanctions against Russia are under serious consideration” – President Donald Trump

“Putin has killed many people; sanctions against Russia are under serious consideration” – President Donald Trump
[Washington | July 9, 2025]

President Donald Trump has stated that he is seriously considering imposing additional sanctions on Russia in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive stance.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said,
“Putin throws a lot of nasty words at us. He always acts polite, but in the end, it means nothing. Putin is killing a lot of people — his own soldiers and Ukrainian troops as well.”

In response to a journalist’s question, Trump said he is giving the Senate’s proposed anti-Russia sanctions bill “very serious consideration.” However, he declined to disclose what specific measures might be taken, adding:
“I’m not going to tell you that now. Let’s leave a little surprise, shall we?”

At that point, he suddenly shifted the conversation toward the possibility of strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, suggesting he may not be willing to publicly reveal his strategic intentions.

Trump’s comments come at a time when French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to the United Kingdom, delivered a speech to the British Parliament declaring:
“Europe will never abandon Ukraine.”

Macron further stated that the UK and France would form a “coalition of the willing” to provide military aid to Ukraine and fight until peace is achieved.

Earlier that same day, Trump also announced that his administration would send more defensive weapons to Ukraine. However, Pentagon sources noted that some deliveries have been temporarily halted due to shortages in U.S. stockpiles.

During his 2024 election campaign, Trump had promised to quickly end the Ukraine war. But so far, his diplomatic efforts — including several phone calls with Putin — have failed to stop the conflict.

Meanwhile, although Russia and Ukraine held direct talks in Turkey in May regarding prisoner exchanges, no progress has been made toward a ceasefire or peace agreement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said,
“We are waiting for a proposal from Ukraine for the next round of talks. Once a date is set, we will officially announce it.”

On the battlefield, Russia’s advances continue. Moscow recently claimed it has captured the village of Dachne in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region and has intensified long-range attacks on several Ukrainian cities.

In this context, Trump’s warning about additional sanctions on Russia is drawing renewed attention to the future trajectory of the Ukraine war.