Trump weighs new sanctions on Russia, days after pausing military aid to Ukraine

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

73% : Trump is sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security advisor Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Saudi Arabia next week to meet with Ukrainian officials.
54% : Trump, days into his second, nonconsecutive White House term, said targeting Russia's oil revenue was the best way to get Moscow to end its nearly three-year war against Ukraine.
50% : "President Trump is adamant that we need to get everybody to the table, and we could do that with carrots, and we could do that with sticks," Hassett said.
47% : Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said he was considering the action "based on the fact that Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now."
47% : He leaned in on the idea that OPEC+, the alliance of oil producing nations, holds the key to ending the war by reducing oil prices.
45% : "To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late," Trump added in his post. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday that the U.S. has kept its sanctions in place on Russia and "will not hesitate to go all in should it provide leverage in peace negotiations.
38% : President Trump said Friday he is "strongly considering" levying new sanctions and tariffs on Russia for its war against Ukraine, floating the possibility of new pressure on Moscow just days after he ordered a pause on U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
31% : "It may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising, because they have all the cards, and they're bombing the hell out of them right now," Trump said.
28% : "Putin went through a hell of a lot with me," Trump told Zelensky during last week's contentious Oval Office meeting that led to Trump pausing aid and intelligence with Ukraine.
24% : Trump, in an exchange with reporters Friday, again questioned whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is committed to getting a peace agreement to end the conflict.
22% : Trump has had a complicated history with Putin.
19% : The sanctions threat came as Trump faces criticism for increasing pressure on Ukraine to reach a deal while playing down or even denying Russia's responsibility for starting the war with its invasion three years ago.

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