President Donald Trump has warned of “devastating” financial consequences for Russia if Vladimir Putin rejects a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, escalating pressure to end a three-year war Trump says risks sparking World War III.
Speaking alongside Vice President J.D. Vance during a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Trump hinted at severe economic measures—“things that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense”—while insisting he’d rather avoid them to secure peace.
This follows Ukraine’s agreement Tuesday to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire after talks in Saudi Arabia, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring “the ball is now in Russia’s court.”
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Trump’s team, including envoy Steve Witkoff, is headed to Moscow to push the deal, backed by resumed U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz confirmed ongoing talks with Russian counterparts, while press secretary Karoline Leavitt called it the “closest we’ve been to peace,” urging Russia to “run this into the end zone.”
Trump’s tone marks a shift from past praise of Putin, intensifying after a fiery Oval Office clash with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky two weeks ago. Since March 7, he’s floated “large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs” on Russia, citing its battlefield dominance.
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Putin, who’s ruled out short-term truces as mere pauses for Ukraine to rearm, now faces a choice: accept the ceasefire or risk alienating a U.S. leader who’s recently warmed ties with Moscow while rattling NATO and trade partners.
With Russia pounding Ukrainian cities and Kyiv hitting back with drone strikes on Moscow, the stakes—and Trump’s economic threats—loom large.
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