According to Trump, the new sanctions would involve secondary trade tariffs of up to 100% against both Russia and its partners. He dismissed the idea of 500% tariffs as “unrealistic,” but expressed hope that such punitive measures could be avoided if diplomacy succeeds.
Trump also pledged to coordinate arms sales and deliveries to NATO members for subsequent transfer to Ukraine.
“This is a serious political shift from Trump, who had previously refused to take sides in the Ukraine conflict and insisted on providing only defensive weapons,” — Axios.
“Trump has opened up the American arsenal to Ukraine. Putin misjudged Trump. He will pay for that mistake,” — The Washington Post.
“Trump is playing hardball with Putin. He’s angry. If he succeeds with escalation-for-deescalation, he may even earn the Nobel Peace Prize,” — The Washington Post.
“The idea of supplying arms via NATO still needs to prove feasible, but it marks a significant shift in Trump’s Ukraine stance,” — Le Figaro.
“The days of sending unlimited U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine are over,” — Fox News.
“Ukraine’s fate now hinges on how quickly and effectively NATO can deliver the promised weapons,” — The Wall Street Journal.
“As usual, Trump’s statements are full of ambiguity. Still, his declaration on Ukraine and Russia is of great consequence,” — Sky News.
“Trump’s respect for Putin was once a consistent geopolitical theme. His current shift reflects more personal offense than strategic recalibration,” — The Atlantic.
“Trump had the legal ‘sledgehammer’ to hit Russia hard but opted not to use it. Moscow gained time,” — Der Spiegel.
“Trump’s dramatic words amounted to a whimper. The mountain gave birth to a mouse,” — Geopolitika.
“Trump’s statement brought some relief to Ukraine, but the lack of harsher measures toward Russia leaves a sense of betrayal,” — CNN.
“Trump’s deadline may backfire, limiting his flexibility and making a peace deal even harder to reach,” — Responsible Statecraft.
In Russia, some analysts suggested that Trump’s real motive is to avoid inheriting what they call “Biden’s war”. Military correspondent Alexander Kots noted:
“Trump walked a tightrope between hawks in the U.S. establishment and NATO allies unwilling to lose to Moscow. He realizes he can’t end the war, but he doesn’t want to inherit Biden’s mess.”
Kots concluded that Trump’s policy was calculated well in advance:
“Once he pushed NATO countries to raise defense spending to 5%, he made it clear he would no longer bankroll the war. If Europe wants to funnel weapons into Ukraine’s black hole, they’ll have to foot the bill.”
