U.S. officials have prepared several scenarios for President Donald Trump to enhance economic sanctions against Russia due to Vladimir Putin’s delay in ending the war in Ukraine. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources within high-level administration structures.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The details of the proposed options remain unknown at this time. According to agency sources, Trump has not yet made a final decision on their implementation, as diplomatic efforts are ongoing. They emphasize that any decision depends on the will of the U.S. president.
Representatives from the U.S. National Security Council and the State Department did not respond to requests for comments. The official representative of Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, also declined to comment.
Changes in U.S. Approaches to Sanctions Against Russia
Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that, in his opinion, Vladimir Putin seeks peace. However, after the Russian strike on Kyiv on the night of April 24, he expressed doubts about this and allowed for the imposition of additional sanctions. At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that sanctions are not currently being implemented, as Washington hopes to end the war through diplomatic means.
In early April, more than half of U.S. senators—50 out of 100—supported a bipartisan bill regarding primary and secondary sanctions against Russia in the event of a refusal to negotiate peace. The bill includes, among other things, the introduction of a 500% tariff on imports from countries that purchase Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas, or uranium. On May 1, Republican Lindsey Graham reported that 72 senators had expressed support for this bill.