Trump's Uncertainty on Sanctions: Will They Work Against Russia?

The United States' ability to use economic measures to compel Moscow to cease its war efforts is being questioned, even by Donald Trump himself.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new deadline to Vladimir Putin and Russia. They have ten to twelve days to end the war, or face severe penalties through sanctions and tariffs.

This is a sharper timeline than the 50 days he mentioned as recently as mid-July.

However, Trump himself seems uncertain if his threats will yield any results.

– "I don't know if it will affect Russia, because he obviously wants to keep the war going," Trump said at a press conference.

– "But we will impose tariffs and other measures. It might have an effect – or it might not."

Targeting Countries Buying Russian Oil

Russia has spent years building its economy to withstand Western sanctions, reports the New York Times. However, the country's oil and gas exports still account for a third of the state budget, and this is where the most impactful measures could strike.

Trump has also stated that he may impose secondary tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil. One such country is India, where Trump is now imposing 25% tariffs starting August 1.

– "They have also always bought a large majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest energy buyer, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine," the president wrote on his platform Truth Social.

The deadline of ten to twelve days should expire sometime in the middle of next week. However, it seems the Russians are not particularly nervous. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has previously mocked Trump's constantly postponed deadlines:

– "It was 24 hours, then 100 days, now 50. We've heard all that," he said a couple of weeks ago.