Key Points – President Trump stated on Wednesday (May 28th) he will determine within two weeks if Vladimir Putin is serious about Ukraine peace negotiations or face a “different response,” likely new sanctions.
-This comes after Trump called Putin “crazy” following recent massive Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
-While Trump hesitates, bipartisan pressure mounts in Congress, with Senators Graham and Blumenthal introducing a bill for sweeping 500% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil/gas, a measure gaining significant support.
-Russia’s recent unusually mild responses to Trump’s criticism suggest Moscow may be feeling vulnerable to this potential increased US pressure.
Russia Feels the Heat? Kremlin’s Soft Tone After Trump’s ‘Crazy Putin’ Jibe
President Donald Trump is facing increasing bipartisan pressure to slap Russia with new sanctions after initially expressing his willingness to do so following Moscow’s drone attacks on major urban population centres across Ukraine this past weekend.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the president clarified his position on new Russian sanctions, announcing that he intends to wait two weeks to determine if Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking negotiations seriously.
When asked if he believes Putin wants to end the conflict, Trump responded, “I can’t tell you that, but I’ll let you know in about two weeks.”
“Within two weeks. We’re going to find out very soon,” the president added. “We’re gonna find out whether or not he’s tapping us along or not, and if he is, we’ll respond a little differently.”
Some Republicans Have Had Enough
While Trump has made it clear he’s willing to wait, not everyone in his party agrees with his plans. Writing on social media, Senator Chuck Grassley pressured the president to take action now.
“I’ve had enuf of Putin killing innocent ppl. Pres Trump Take action AT LEAST SANCTIONS,” Grassley wrote.
The Republican senator from Iowa followed up with an additional post in which he pushed for sanctions “strong enough so Putin knows ‘game over.’”
Grassley isn’t the only one. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, partnering with Democrat Richard Blumenthal, introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that proposes sweeping 500% tariffs on imports from any country that purchases Russian oil, gas, uranium, or related products.
The proposal goes far beyond President Trump’s most extreme tariff proposals, eclipsing the initial 145% tariff slapped on China. It also risks falling flat, forcing Democratic legislators to choose between continuing to oppose Trump-style tariffs or advocating for their own.
Nonetheless, the bill has already gained significant traction, with more than 80 co-sponsors in the Senate. The bill goes beyond existing sanctions by not just exerting direct pressure on Russia, but also on third-party countries like China and India that have continued to purchase Russian oil since the beginning of the invasion in 2022.
Trump Goes His Own Way
Trump has not embraced the bill outright, but should it pass, it could in theory give some cover to the president, permitting him to argue that his hands were tied by Congress. Given his notorious negotiating tactics, however, Trump is almost certainly unhappy with his fellow Republicans for backing a plan that could undermine his efforts to secure a deal at a time when Moscow might finally be realizing they have pushed too far.
Trump’s logic has been consistent throughout his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, and while this isn’t the first time Trump has said he is willing to wait for two weeks to see what happens, his latest (indirect) interactions with Russia offered a good insight into what Moscow is thinking at this stage. After Trump slammed Putin as “crazy,” he was met with praise from not one, but two, Russian officials.
Both Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov thanked the president for his efforts so far and attempted to temper rising tension between the U.S. and Moscow, commenting on the “emotional” nature of the conflict.
If Trump sees the same thing I do, he knows Russia can only push so far – and these two weeks may be the most consequential and significant in the negotiating process so far. If Russia doesn’t play ball as Trump expects he will, sanctions – and more – will no doubt follow. And Putin knows it.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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