On the 22nd, U.S. President Trump stated that if the leaders of Russia and Ukraine do not hold a direct meeting within two weeks, he will make a “very important decision,” which could be “large-scale sanctions or tariffs.”
During a media interview at the White House on the 22nd, Trump stated that the U.S. will focus on whether the leaders of Russia and Ukraine will meet, “because I told them to meet, but I will know what to do after two weeks.” According to Trump, if the leaders of Russia and Ukraine do not meet directly, he may impose “large-scale sanctions or massive tariffs, or both.” However, the U.S. may also “just let it be” and say “you are fighting the war.”
Multiple media outlets reported that Trump announced on July 14th that if Russia did not reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days, the U.S. would impose “very severe” tariffs and secondary tariffs on Russia. However, these threats of tariffs and sanctions have not yet been implemented.
In response to Trump’s threat of new sanctions against Russia, Russian President Putin’s press secretary Peskov said on July 30th that the Russian economy has developed “immunity” to sanctions over the years.
On the 22nd, Trump also mentioned an attack on a factory of a U.S. company in Ukraine. Ukraine claimed that the attack, launched by Russia, caused a fire and multiple injuries. Trump said he was “not happy about it” and “not happy about anything related to that war.”
The Associated Press reported on the 22nd that just four days after the meeting of U.S., Ukrainian, and European leaders earlier this week, Trump’s optimism began to wane.
On the 18th of this month, Trump held a series of meetings with Ukrainian President Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House. On the same day, Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Putin, and subsequently announced that he had started arranging a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, followed by a trilateral meeting between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said on the 22nd during an appearance on NBC News that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky has not yet been scheduled, but Putin is willing to meet with Zelensky once the agenda is confirmed.
Trump responded later on the 22nd, saying that Putin and Zelensky have a bad relationship due to reasons known to everyone. According to Trump, he will “see” if he needs to participate in such meetings in the future. Additionally, Trump showed media at the White House photos of him walking on the red carpet with Putin during their meeting in Alaska, saying he received the photos and would send them to Putin after signing them. Trump also revealed that Putin hopes to come to the 2026 World Cup soccer event jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. However, Trump emphasized that Putin’s attendance depends on future developments. Also on the 22nd, Putin expressed appreciation for Trump’s leadership during a question-and-answer session at a nuclear research center in Russia, believing it has helped improve relations between Russia and the U.S.