It sure looks that way! Based on all the information included herein, I’d say the US and company will be increasing sanctions on Russia.
The U.S. National Security Council “is trying to coordinate some set of more punitive actions against Russia,” said the source familiar with the issue. “This will have to be signed off by Trump.”
“It’s totally his call,” confirmed a second U.S. official.
“From the beginning, the president has been clear about his commitment to achieving a full and comprehensive ceasefire,” said
National Security Council Spokesman James Hewitt.“We do not comment on the details of ongoing negotiations.”An approval by Trump of new sanctions, which would follow the Wednesday signing of a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that he heavily promoted as part of his peace effort, could signify a hardening of his stance towards the Kremlin.
The US- Ukraine minerals deal was signed..
Trump “has been bending over backwards to give Putin every opportunity to say, ‘Okay, we’re going to have a ceasefire and an end to the war,’ and Putin keeps rejecting him,” said Kurt Volker, a former U.S. envoy to NATO who was U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations during Trump’s first term. “This is the next phase of putting some pressure on Russia.”
Trump has been “bending over backwards to give Putin every opportunity” WOW, is that delusional?
Reuters reported in March that the United States was drawing up a plan to potentially give Russia sanctions relief but Trump in recent weeks has expressed frustration with Putin’s foot-dragging on ending the invasion and last Saturday held a “very productive” one-on-one meeting in the Vatican with Zelenskiy.
The next day, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that he was “strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions and Tariffs on Russia” that would remain until a ceasefire and final peace deal.
Volker said that Russia has been earning hard currency that funds its military through oil and gas sales to countries like India and China and that it would be “very significant” if Trump slapped secondary sanctions on such deals.
Secondary sanctions are those where one country seeks to punish a second country for trading with a third by barring access to its own market, a particularly powerful tool for the United States because of the size of its economy. REUTERS
European Union prepares new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine war
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday that European countries are preparing a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, describing President Vladimir Putin as the “sole obstacle” to peace in Ukraine.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday that the European Union is preparing to hit Russia with a 17th round of sanctions, describing President Vladimir Putin as the “sole obstacle” to peace in Ukraine.
The 27-nation bloc has imposed unprecedented penalties on Russia in response to its invasion, and said this year it would not lift sanctions before Putin’s “unconditional” withdrawal of forces from Ukraine.
“We Europeans will accompany this American (sanctions) initiative with a 17th package of sanctions and I committed yesterday to (US Senator) Lindsey Graham that we would try to coordinate both the substance and the timing of these two packages of sanctions,” Barrot told AFP in an interview.
Very clearly the US and EU will be upping the sanctions against Russia- The western media is spinning on Trump’s behalf presenting this as a remote possibility. Or something Trump is undecided on. Of course, the media would do this as they’ve been allowing for the presentation of Trump as the “Peace President”
American Chamber of Commerce leaders talked about their hope for the future—capitalizing on Ukraine’s newfound technological achievements in autonomous systems, cybersecurity, and manufacturing to rebuild Ukraine’s economy and contribute to a stronger Europe. I sat with a dozen U.S. companies at dinner and talked about the extraordinary potential to help with the recovery, as long as U.S. investors can demonstrate now that they are with Ukraine for the long haul, and not just via the occasional Zoom call. Ukrainians, they said, will remember who showed up in hard times. Those will be the partners of choice.
With the U.S.-Europe relationship in tatters, more territory is ripe for the taking. Moscow will take the win and look further west: to the Baltics, to NATO, and to Poland. After a brief pause, they will push directly into NATO. Unless the United States is going to renege on a 70-year-old alliance—an alliance that showed up for us after 9/11—we will now be fully engaged in the fight. Reneging will damage U.S. prestige for decades.
Beijing will quickly grasp the implications. A subsection of American politicians argues that the United States must keep weapons in warehouses to deter China. This logic is deeply flawed. China is watching the battlefield in Ukraine closely. The best deterrence is not weapons on shelves gathering dust, but demonstrations of their effectiveness in the field. Tangible proof of U.S. military prowess and a willingness to arm a partner to the teeth is the best way to make China think twice. Plus, replacing those weapons keeps our industrial base building, innovating, and warm for a potential future fight.
Supporting Ukraine is not folly—it’s an investment. A dollar spent now prevents millions needed later. The United States should double down on military aid, sending air defense to protect Ukraine’s burgeoning economy, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System rounds to keep the pressure on Russia in its own territory, and enough artillery rounds to break the Russian trench lines. It should build goodwill with the Ukrainian people by fixing the electricity grid and supporting demining with imagery access and equipment. It should support U.S. businesses that are willing to be on the ground now, despite risks. Even with all that expenditure, this would still be the cheapest military victory the United States has ever seen.
Even with all that expenditure, this would still be the cheapest military victory the United States has ever seen.
Wow! The cheapest military victory the United States has ever seen. Because all those dead Ukrainians came cheap and now the US has the minerals deal to further exploit Ukraine