[Trump Rarely Speaks Harshly to Russia]
On April 26, Trump posted on "Truth Social", saying, "Putin has no reason to launch missiles at civilian areas and towns in the past few days. This makes me feel that maybe he does not want to stop the war, and perhaps we need to deal with him in other ways, through banks or secondary sanctions?"
This is one of the rare times when Trump has spoken harshly about Russia. In the past week, he has been pressuring Ukraine and even intends to recognize Russia's sovereignty over Crimea and other regions controlled by Russia. Outraged Europe and Ukraine criticized Trump for being manipulated by Russia, and even some people within the U.S. Republican Party opposed Trump's attitude toward Putin.
Last month, Treasury Secretary Bostin once said, "Whether to strengthen or relax sanctions on Russia will depend on the subsequent actions of the Russian leadership. And I think if it helps him gain an advantage in negotiations, President Trump would not hesitate to strengthen sanctions." However, in fact, Trump's peace plan includes lifting sanctions on Russia since 2014.
Even if the United States eases pressure on sanctions against Russia, Europe's continued implementation of sanctions will cause significant damage to the Russian economy. Russia will still be restricted in trade, use of payment systems, and access to foreign investment.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830525037632588/
Disclaimer: The article only represents the views of the author.