Trump Pushes Putin to End War

Trump has continued to push for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war by suggesting the U.S. will impose further tariffs on Russia.

The Details: While existing sanctions have slowed some facets of Russia’s economy, it's not evident that they've slowed down the war. Trump has promised he will end the war. Threatened sanctions have led to anonymous sources sharing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “growing concerned.” 

Key Quote: On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social, “If we don’t make a deal, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries… We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better.” 

How the Media Covered it: Axios (Lean Left bias) reported Trump’s post as a “Threat” to Russia and mentioned that U.S. imports from Russia have been continuously falling for over a decade. The BBC (Center) included quotes from Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, and reported that Russia is ready to negotiate an end to the war. Fox News (Right) emphasized Putin's concern over the sanctions and reported that Russia’s economy has “thrived.”