Trump has promised to solve the war on "day one" of his presidency, and is finding it difficult to broker peace as Russia's military assault on Ukraine has ramped up. He also noted he intends to talk with Putin by telephone either this week or early next week about the ongoing war.
China, India, and Russia trade
China and India are two of the largest purchasers of Russian oil, which continues to support the Russian economy and war campaign. Last month, the US imposed a 50% tariff on goods shipped from India, with a 25% penalty attached to its transactions with Russia. If Trump were able to convince Europe to act the same way, it would facilitate a large change in the EU's economic policy, which entirely relies on sanctions alone rather than tariffs.
While the EU has promised to sever ties with Russian energy, the EU still imports 19% of its natural gas from Russia. Trump's remarks came after a conversation where US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Washington is prepared to intensify economic measures, but a stronger commitment from Europe was needed to do so.
Increased Russian attacks in Ukraine
As the war continues to escalate, a Russian missile struck Ukraine's main government building located in its capital, Kyiv, over the weekend. The attack was both regarded as symbolic and as an increase in levels of aggression toward Ukraine. Ukraine reported that since the war began, Russian forces have carried out the largest volume of aerial bombardment by launching at least 810 drones and 13 missiles.
In addition, a Russian glide bomb killed more than 20 civilians waiting in line to collect their pensions in the Eastern Donbas region on Tuesday. Trump expressed sadness and frustration over the circumstances, cautioning of more severe sanctions against the Kremlin, despite previous threats not yielding any consequences to date.
A summit was held last month between Trump and Putin in Alaska, where there was no resolution regarding a peace deal.
Engagement with India and Trade Discussions
In addition to his aggressive stance toward Russia, Trump also pointed out that he was having ongoing discussions regarding trade with India. He confirmed that negotiations are continuing as they attempt to discuss and address trade barriers, and is planning to speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming weeks. On social media, Trump has displayed positivity regarding a "successful conclusion" to negotiations.
In response, Modi stated that the US and India, "as close friends and natural partners," pointed out that their teams are working to conclude negotiations in a reasonable timeframe. He also stated that he was looking forward to speaking directly to Trump.
Recently, Trump has more heavily emphasized the "special relationship" between the two countries, pledging that if there has been any difficulty during their ongoing trade talks, these are temporary and nothing to be concerned about.
