U.S. President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning on Wednesday, September 3, when asked about his stance on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I have no message to President Putin. He knows where I stand, and he’ll make a decision one way or the other,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
“Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy. And if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen,” he added, suggesting potential consequences if Russia fails to act in line with U.S. expectations.
The president grew visibly frustrated when pressed on his administration’s response to Russia’s actions.
“How do you know there’s no action? Would you say that putting secondary sanctions on India—one of the largest purchasers outside of China—costing Russia hundreds of billions of dollars, is no action?” Trump retorted.
“And I haven’t even done phase two or phase three yet,” he warned, alluding to additional measures that could be imposed.
Trump also referenced recent moves aimed at deterring India from purchasing Russian oil.
“If you remember, two weeks ago I said if India buys, India’s got big problems—and that’s what happens. So don’t tell me we haven’t acted,” he said.
Despite Trump’s repeated warnings, his administration has so far refrained from imposing a broader set of sanctions on Russia, citing ongoing efforts to reach a peace agreement.
