U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday raised the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia, suggesting Washington could move to penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and uranium through secondary measures.
“It makes me think that maybe (Putin) doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through banking or secondary sanctions?” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The post, a rare public swipe at Russian President Vladimir Putin, drew immediate attention in DC. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime supporter of Ukraine and close Trump ally, seized the moment to promote a Senate proposal he introduced earlier this month.
“As to additional sanctions on Putin’s Russia, I have bipartisan legislation with almost 60 cosponsors that would put secondary tariffs on any country that purchases Russian oil, gas, uranium, or other products,” Graham wrote on X.
“The Senate stands ready to move in this direction and will do so overwhelmingly if Russia does not embrace an honorable, just, and enduring peace.”
Graham, along with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, introduced the bill on April 1 — one day before Trump announced sweeping tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners. Russia was notably absent from that list, given that bilateral trade between the two countries has largely collapsed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trump’s remarks on April 26 came hours after a brief in-person conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican, where the two met on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral. The meeting lasted roughly fifteen minutes, but both leaders described the exchange in glowing terms. The White House called it “very productive,” while Zelensky said it had the “potential to become historic.”
While Trump has often been reserved in his tone toward Putin, the setting — and the occasion — may have contributed to a change in posture. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, both in attendance at the Vatican, are believed to have facilitated the meeting, which some observers say could represent a diplomatic turning point.
In his post, Trump condemned Russia’s renewed attacks on urban areas. “Russia has been shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” he wrote. “It makes me think that maybe [Putin] doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions’?”
The comments stand in contrast to Trump’s previous messages on Ukraine, which have largely focused on criticizing Kyiv’s leadership. As recently as this week, he had highlighted Zelensky’s rejection of U.S. efforts to recognize Crimea as Russian-controlled territory. Yet even in that context, Trump struck a notably different tone. He blamed former President Barack Obama for allowing “Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine.”
The proposed secondary sanctions would target third countries — not Russia directly — by penalizing those who continue doing business with Moscow. If enacted, such measures could block access to U.S. financial markets and the dollar-based global banking system for entities purchasing Russian energy.
The Kremlin would be particularly concerned if Trump follows through. India, Turkey and China — Russia’s main energy clients — would face difficult decisions. While Beijing might resist any U.S. pressure, New Delhi and Ankara would likely consider backing down for reasons of political and economic self-preservation.
Trump’s critics note that while he has previously threatened tough action on Russia, including banking restrictions and sanctions, he has yet to implement such measures. Instead, the administration has focused its diplomatic push on securing concessions from Ukraine while attempting to stabilize U.S.-Russia relations.
According to sources close to Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that while Ukraine had accepted a ceasefire agreement more than six weeks ago, Russia has refused to honor it and continues to escalate civilian casualties.
Zelensky’s “I’m pro-peace, Russia is pro-death” message, especially at the Vatican, may have had a special impact.
Putin will be worried that Trump means what he says. The Russian leader had been relying on his manipulation of US negotiator Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s dislike of Zelensky, to buy space for his prevarication on ceasefire talks. But it seems that the Kremlin may have overplayed its hand.
The imposition of threatened U.S. sanctions to fully isolate the Russian central bank and private banks from the international financial marketplace would also pose major problems for Putin. Russia’s economy is now bearing the weight of three years of war in terms of high inflation, falling growth, and a brain/capital drain.
What’s more, Putin cannot sustain both domestic spending and his war effort without energy export revenue or at least marginal access to foreign financial markets. And the vast majority of banks which face sanctions by the U.S. for dealing with Russia will stop doing so.
