The US President has said he is preparing “to move into the second phase” of sanctions against Russia following the deadly attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday.
Vladimir Putin ordered the largest attack on Ukraine since the war started on 24 February 2022.
A government building was attacked in Kyiv for the first time during the war and more than 800 drones was fired at Ukraine killing a two-month-old baby and his mother and rescuers are searching for a third body.
Ukraine came under an aerial bombardment on Sunday morning with 805 drones and 13 missiles, making this the largest attack since the full-scale war started.
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Putin launches a fierce attack on Ukraine striking a ‘government building’
Donald Trump was asked by a journalist “Are you ready to move into the second phase of sanctions against Russia?” The US President replied, “Yeah, I am.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that Washington is now prepared to “increase pressure” on Moscow and Europe must also force the Kremlin to start negotiating.
Bessent said that JD Vance and Trump held a “very productive call” on Friday with the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
Bessent told NBC’s Meet the Press program, “We are talking about what can the two – EU and the US – do together. And we are prepared to increase pressure on Russia.
“But we need our European partners to follow us.”
Trump has threatened to target countries that buy oil from Russia with “more sanctions” with secondary tariffs, but so far has only targeted India.
Bessent said, “If the US and the EU can come into more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in full collapse. And that will bring President Putin to the table.”
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