Trump Signals Possible Russia Sanctions as Ukraine Peace Talks Stall

President Donald Trump again indicated that he could impose sanctions on Russia if progress toward a peaceful settlement in Ukraine does not occur, while Moscow confirmed that no meeting is currently planned between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking a week after his Alaska meeting with Putin, Trump said he would determine whether to enforce “significant sanctions, substantial tariffs, or both,” or take no action at all. He highlighted a recent Russian attack on a U.S.-operated factory in Ukraine, which sparked a fire and caused injuries to some of the facility’s workers, as a major concern.

Following the Alaska meeting, Trump said he began arrangements for a potential summit between Putin and Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a meeting with Putin, stating it is essential for negotiating an end to the war. On Friday, the Ukrainian president accused Russia of attempting to prevent the meeting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed NBC that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not scheduled at the moment. He noted that Putin is open to meeting once a summit agenda is prepared, but stressed that the agenda is “not ready at all” for now.

Earlier in the week, Trump showed White House reporters a photo from his Alaska meeting with Putin and noted that the Russian president had expressed interest in attending the 2026 World Cup in the United States. Trump’s comments did not address Russia’s ban from international sporting events following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, nor the country’s non-participation in qualification for the 2026 tournament.

On Friday, Putin toured a nuclear research center and expressed optimism about U.S.-Russia relations, saying, “We had a very good, meaningful, and frank meeting in Alaska.” He added that the next steps now depend on the decisions of the U.S. leadership.

The ongoing conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians and injured or killed over a million soldiers on both sides. Fighting continues, with attacks on energy facilities reported by both countries.

Russia continues to demand that Ukraine cede control of land in eastern regions while proposing to freeze the frontline in two southern regions and possibly return small areas of other occupied territory. Zelenskyy has eased his requirement for a lengthy ceasefire before a leaders’ meeting but has emphasized that negotiations cannot occur “under the barrel of a gun.”

Security guarantees for Ukraine remain a central issue in diplomatic efforts. Trump indicated that Russia had agreed to some Western security guarantees for Kyiv. Lavrov later expressed skepticism, calling discussions without Russia “a road to nowhere.” Zelenskyy has called for foreign troops in Ukraine to deter future Russian attacks.