The Kremlin sees nothing new in U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to impose sanctions if no deal on the war in Ukraine is reached, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Jan. 23 during his press briefing.
A day earlier, Trump said that if a "deal" to end the war in Ukraine was not reached soon, he would have no choice but to "put high levels of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States and other participating countries."
"We don't see any particularly new elements here. You know that Trump, in the first iteration of his presidency, was the American president who most often resorted to sanctions methods," Peskov said.
Russia is ready for an "equal and respectful" dialogue with the U.S., as it was during Trump's first term, Peskov added.
The Kremlin spokesman also noted that no preparations are currently underway for a meeting between Trump and Putin.
During the election campaign, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, though his choice for special Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, has since revised this to 100 days.
The Trump team hopes to quickly begin work on a settlement plan that could be implemented within the first few months of his presidency. A meeting with Putin is part of the plan, according to CNN.
Trump has often voiced sympathies for the Russian leader while criticizing the level of support the outgoing Biden administration gave to Kyiv. This prompted concerns that the new U.S. leadership might cut a deal unfavorable to Ukraine.
Timothy Ash
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