US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was prepared to move forward with additional sanctions on Moscow, following Russia’s largest-ever aerial assault on Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump was asked if he was ready to impose further measures against Russia. "Yeah, I am," he replied, without providing further details.
The statement came just hours after Russia launched what officials described as its biggest aerial barrage on Ukraine since the conflict began.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Moscow with further sanctions but withheld them as he pursued peace talks.
The latest comments suggest an increasingly aggressive posture, but Trump stopped short of saying he was committed to such a decision or what a second phase might entail.
Asked by a reporter at the White House if he is ready to move to "the second phase" of sanctions against Russia, Trump responded, "Yeah, I am." He did not elaborate.
Trump has been frustrated by his inability to bring a halt to the fighting after he initially predicted he would be able to end the war in Ukraine swiftly when he took office in January.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email on Sunday seeking comment about what steps Trump was contemplating.
The exchange was a follow-up to Trump's comments on Wednesday defending the actions he had taken already on Russia, including imposing punitive tariffs on India's U.S.-bound exports last month.
*With Agency Inputs
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