US President Donald Trump has condemned Russia’s military actions in Ukraine as “disgusting” and threatened new sanctions, giving Moscow until the end of next week to cease hostilities. Trump stated, “Russia – I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I think it’s disgusting,” after Moscow’s attacks on Kyiv killed over two dozen people.
The US president plans to send special envoy Steve Witkoff to visit Russia, despite strained relations between the two nations. Trump has previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times. Washington’s deadline for Moscow to cease hostilities in Ukraine comes with the threat of severe economic sanctions, which Trump reiterated, saying, “We’re going to put sanctions. I don’t know that sanctions bother him.”
Trump’s administration is considering “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s trade partners, such as China and India, which could further stifle Russia’s economy but risks significant international disruption. According to reports, Trump will pursue 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russian energy.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for “regime change” in Russia, hours after a deadly attack on Kyiv. Zelenskyy believes Russia can be “pushed” to stop the war but warned that without regime change, Moscow will continue to destabilize neighboring countries. Russia’s relentless offensive has resulted in significant damage, with over 3,800 drones and nearly 260 missiles fired at Ukraine in July alone.
Germany has pledged to deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine to counter the growing number of Russian drone and missile attacks. The German military will provide additional Patriot launchers in the coming days and further components in the next two to three months.
In response to Trump’s tariff threats, experts believe Russia will maintain its current approach, with one analyst noting, “Russia’s approach is to ‘keep calm and carry on’ in the face of Trump’s threats over Ukraine war”.