Trump claims he's ready for 'second phase' of sanctions against Russia, will speak with Putin 'very soon'
Editor's Note: This story has been edited to include additional comments made later on Sept. 7 by U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Sept. 7 that he is ready to begin a new phase of sanctions against Russia in response to the war in Ukraine and plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon."
Trump's comments come a day after Russia launched a record-breaking drone and missile attack against Ukraine overnight — the latest in a series of mass strikes amid Washington's push to broker a peace deal.
During a White House briefing on Sept. 7, a reporter asked Trump if he was ready to move into the "second phase" of sanctions against Russia.
"Yeah, I am," Trump said. He did not provide details on what this next phase would entail or lay out a timeline for U.S. action.
Later that same day, Trump told reporters that he plans to speak with Putin "very soon."
"Very soon. Over the next couple of days. Look, we're going to get it done. The Russia-Ukraine situation. We're going to get it done."
Trump also said he was "not thrilled" with Russia's latest mass attack, which damaged the Cabinet of Ministers Building in central Kyiv and saw the largest number of drones launched at Ukraine in the full-scale war.
"I am not thrilled with what’s happening there," Trump said.
"I believe we're going to get it settled. But I am not happy with them. I'm not happy with anything having to do with that war."
Trump said that "certain European leaders" would visit the White House in the next two days to discuss a peace settlement, though he did not provide names or details.
On the same day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. was ready to partner with European allies to "increase pressure on Russia," primarily through expanding secondary tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil.
Bessent told NBC News that the move could weaken Moscow's already lagging economy and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
While Trump has threatened to impose tough penalties on Russia on several occasions, his administration has not enacted any new sanctions against Moscow since Trump took office in January. In some cases, the Trump administration has even eased restrictions that were previously in place.
The White House has also threatened to impose widespread secondary tariffs on Russian oil importers, but has only taken this step once: In August, Trump imposed steep secondary tariffs on India, one of the major buyers of Russian oil since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Indian officials have said the U.S. tariffs will not stop the country's imports of Russian oil.
Though Putin held peace talks with Trump in Alaska on Aug. 15, he has since shown little interest in the peace process and has not agreed to meet directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
