In a striking deviation from traditional US diplomatic posture, President Donald Trump has openly floated the possibility of sanctioning both Russia and Ukraine should ongoing peace efforts between the two warring nations collapse. The remark, made during a high-profile meeting at the White House with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, underscores Trump’s personalist approach to foreign policy and his belief that punitive measures can be used as leverage over both allies and adversaries alike.

“I’ll know when it’s time to act – it’s in my brain, the deadline,” Trump said cryptically when asked if he would support legislation currently moving through the Senate that targets Russian energy exports. While the bill, spearheaded by GOP Senator Lindsey Graham, proposes a 500% tariff on countries importing Russian resources, Trump hinted that his strategy might involve broader consequences for both Moscow and Kiev.

“We’ll be very, very, very tough, and it could be on both countries, to be honest,” Trump warned, drawing a moral equivalency between Russia, the aggressor state, and Ukraine, the nation defending its sovereignty. “You know, it takes two to tango,” he added, further stoking controversy among international observers and US lawmakers who have largely viewed the war as one of unprovoked aggression by Russia.

Trump’s remarks come at a tense moment in the ongoing conflict, now in its third year. Over the past weeks, Ukraine has intensified attacks deep inside Russian territory, including drone strikes on airfields and sabotage operations on railway lines in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. These incidents........

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