Trump Defends Putin’s Attack On Ukraine After Threatening Sanctions & Tariffs

President Donald Trump defended Russian President Vladimir Putin during an Oval Office press conference on Friday after decrying Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine and threatening sanctions until it stopped attacking.

Earlier that day, Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia after its forces launched missiles and drones into Ukraine. The Biden administration previously issued sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine three years ago.

>MORE: UKRAINE LAUNCHES MASSIVE DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW

“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he said in a post on Truth Social on Friday morning. “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED.”

Russia’s increased attacks came soon after the U.S. pulled much of its support from Kyiv following Trump’s Oval Office clash with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump halted U.S. military aid, intelligence sharing, and, as of Friday, the sharing of satellite imagery with Ukraine.

On Friday, Trump defended Putin’s ramped-up attacks.

>MORE: TRUMP & VANCE ATTACK ZELENSKY IN OVAL OFFICE

“I’m finding it more difficult frankly to deal with Ukraine, and they don’t have the cards,” Trump said. “It may be easier dealing with Russia. He wants to end the war and once ended, and I think he’s going to be more generous than he has to be. And that’s pretty good.”

Trump said that he did not know that Ukraine wanted to settle. He continued to tell reporters at the Oval Office that the U.S. and Russia’s relationship has been “doing very well, but right now they’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine.”

“I actually think he’s doing what anybody else would do,” he added. “I think he wants to get it stopped and settled, and I think he’s hitting them harder than he’s been hitting them. And I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now.”

Russia’s major overnight attack on Ukraine leading into Friday included 261 missiles and drones that targeted energy and gas infrastructure in various regions.

Three people were killed and seven others injured in a drone attack early the following day in the city of Bogodukhiv, the military head of the eastern Kharkiv region. Russia again fired two missiles and 145 drones at Bogodukhiv, Ukraine’s air force said.