President Donald Trump issued an intense warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, urging him to "STOP this ridiculous War" in Ukraine.
Trump announced his plans to impose "high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions" if Putin fails to negotiate an end to the conflict, which he claimed would never have started under his leadership.
"I'm not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin," Trump wrote. "That being said, I'm going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE."
Trump's message, charged with both conciliatory and combative tones, included a reference to World War II. He stated the Soviet Union helped the U.S. by "losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process."
In the same post, Trump proposed a dire choice for Russia: "We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better. It's time to 'MAKE A DEAL.' NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!"
The ongoing war in Ukraine has resulted in devastating loss of life. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported in December that approximately 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died in action, with an additional 370,000 wounded. Estimates suggest 198,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, with over 550,000 injured.
Trump's remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed doubts about Trump's focus on the war at the World Economic Forum Tuesday.
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