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President Donald Trump signed a minerals agreement with Ukraine this week, but it hasn’t brought the U.S. any closer to getting Vladimir Putin to accept the White House’s peace offer. Trump’s administration pushed the deal as a major win, but no one inside the West Wing agrees on what the next move should be. And despite four meetings between Trump’s envoy and Putin over the past four months, Russia’s position on the war hasn’t changed. According to Politico, people involved in the discussions said the administration could pressure the Kremlin directly, but Trump hasn’t supported that path. “More sanctions would be the next turn of the screw,” one official said. “If the president wants to go that route.”  So far, he hasn’t. He hasn’t backed a Republican-led sanctions bill either. That proposal, written by Senator Lindsey Graham, includes new restrictions on Russia and a 500% tariff on countries that buy Russian oil, gas, or aluminum. The bill already has wide bipartisan support in the Senate and could pass even if Trump doesn’t approve it. Officials push the deal while Putin keeps bombing Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, said on Thursday that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about Graham’s bill. He called it “commendable” and said the European Union should work with the U.S. on applying the sanctions. But while European diplomats talk strategy, Russia has stepped up its bombing campaign. Putin has continued rejecting Trump’s plan, which would freeze the current battle lines and allow Russia to keep the territory it holds now. Trump hasn’t taken any new action in response to the airstrikes. His only move has been vague posts on social media about maybe going tougher.  Nothing real. Over the last four months, he’s also refused to commit to any more aid or long-term security…

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Filed under: News - @ May 2, 2025 1:20 pm