Russian President Vladimir Putin is “increasingly concerned” about his wartime economy, five sources with knowledge of the situation told Reuters, just one day after President Donald Trump demanded Putin “make a deal” to end the Ukraine war or face economic punishment.
The timing of the report suggests Putin is responding to Trump’s demand and using his struggling economy as a pretext to begin negotiations.
Trump vowed on the campaign trail that he would bring the Ukrainian war to a close after President Joe Biden appeared to only fuel the war with arms and economic aid.
Russia invaded Ukraine after the Biden administration took power. Before the invasion, Russia indicated it was worried about the administration’s inviting overtures for Ukraine to join NATO, a political and military alliance of countries on the doorstep of Russia. It repeatedly claimed any expansion of NATO into Ukraine was a redline.
Biden refused to speak with Putin about a peace deal, as many Ukrainians continued to die in mandatory military service. “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said of Putin in off-the-cuff remarks during a speech in 2022.
Biden applied sanctions on Russia but they did not result in peace talks with Ukraine, Reuters reported on the Russian economy:
Russia’s economy, driven by exports of oil, gas and minerals, grew robustly over the past two years despite multiple rounds of Western sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
But domestic activity has become strained in recent months by labour shortages and high interest rates introduced to tackle inflation, which has accelerated under record military spending.
That has contributed to the view within a section of the Russian elite that a negotiated settlement to the war is desirable, according to two of the sources familiar with thinking in the Kremlin.
Trump demanded on Wednesday Putin negotiate peace with Ukraine or face “taxes, tariffs, and sanctions” economic punishment that could worsen Putin’s economy and weaken his domestic position.
“IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way — and the easy way is always better,” he added. “It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.
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