President Donald Trump said he is prepared to move to a new wave of sanctions against Russia, signaling a tougher course after months of mediation efforts and a recent large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.
Asked at the White House whether he was ready to move to what he called "the second phase" of sanctions, Trump replied, "yeah, I am," and said he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon, over the next couple of days." Trump said he was determined to "get it done" on the Russia-Ukraine situation.
The announcement came after Russia launched what Ukraine described as the largest aerial assault of the war on a single day, striking the capital with hundreds of drones and missiles. Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked with 810 drones and decoys and that air defenses shot down 747 drones and four missiles; Ukrainian officials reported four civilians killed and damage to key infrastructure. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the strikes, saying they "show that Putin believes he can act with impunity. He is not serious about peace."
Trump, who spent months attempting to broker talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said his patience had worn thin after an August deadline for the Kremlin to end its invasion passed without a cessation of hostilities. He has repeatedly said the conflict would not have begun had he been in office at the time and earlier predicted he would be able to end the war quickly. "I am not thrilled with what's happening there," he 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 defended actions his administration has already taken, saying earlier steps had inflicted economic pain on Moscow. He cited restrictions and measures that, he said, had cost Russia "hundreds of billions of dollars," and added that he had not yet implemented what he referred to as phase two or phase three.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States and the European Union could consider "secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil," a move Bessent said would push the Russian economy to the brink and increase pressure on Putin to negotiate. Bessent identified major energy purchasers such as India and China as potential targets of expanded economic measures, noting their continued purchases of Russian energy since the invasion prompted many Western buyers to cut back.
The president also criticized a recent meeting between Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warning that the gathering raised the prospect of the three leaders "conspiring against the United States." Trump said he would weigh further diplomatic engagement with Putin in the coming days as part of efforts to change Moscow's calculus.
Administration officials have not laid out a formal timetable or public list of specific additional measures that would comprise "phase two" sanctions. Any coordinated secondary measures would require discussions with European partners and could carry economic implications for countries that remain major customers of Russian energy.
The comments mark a shift in tone from months of attempted direct negotiations by the president and place the White House on notice that it is considering a broader strategy of economic pressure. The administration said it will continue consultations with allies as it weighs potential steps in response to continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory and infrastructure.