Washington- US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could impose sanctions and tariffs on both Russia and Ukraine if they fail to make progress in ending hostilities. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said resolving the conflict “takes two to tango” and suggested that Ukraine’s President Zelensky “was not exactly innocent.”

Trump emphasized the human cost of the war, noting that “thousands of young people are dying every single week,” and said he could act through sanctions or tariffs to influence the situation. He reaffirmed his willingness to impose further economic restrictions on Russia, stressing that his goal was to avoid a wider war.

Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, calling him “grossly incompetent” for allowing the conflict to escalate, and downplayed Moscow’s concerns about Zelensky’s legitimacy, calling much of the posturing “bullsh*t.”

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told that any peace deal must be signed by someone with legal authority, describing Zelensky as the “de facto head of the regime.”