Donald Trump has warned Vladimir Putin he is ready to do “very bad things” to Russia financially if he does not accept a ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. The US President told reporters in Washington: “There are things that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do it that because I want to get peace. “In a financial sense, yes we could do things that would be very bad for Russia, that would be devastating for Russia. But I don’t want to do that.”

In the last week, Mr Trump has intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. During peace talks held in Saudi Arabia, the United States and Ukraine jointly proposed a 30-day ceasefire, aiming to halt missile and drone strikes and facilitate the release of prisoners of war. He has previously voiced optimism that Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree to the proposal, stating that such an agreement could pave the way to ending the ongoing conflict.

US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Mr Trump has said he is “extremely sceptical” that Russia wants to end the war with Ukraine.

Speaking about the Ukrainian President, Republican Mr Graham said: “Zelensky has passed the test of wanting peace. It is now up to Putin to show his card.”

He said he would push for “bone-breaking sanctions and tariffs against Russia before the end of the week” in order to move towards peace.

He added: “If they do not pursue the ceasefire with the same vigour as Ukraine, there will be hell to pay.”

In conjunction with these diplomatic efforts, the US administration has resumed military aid to Ukraine, including arms and satellite imagery, signaling continued support for Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

Despite these developments, Russia’s response to the ceasefire proposal remains uncertain.

Russian officials have expressed caution, seeking terms more favorable to their strategic interests. The Kremlin’s primary concern centres on the presence of European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, which Kyiv deems essential for security but Russia finds unacceptable.

The outcome of these negotiations is pivotal, as it will determine whether Russia is genuinely interested in peace or intends to prolong the conflict.

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