NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed a warning from incoming U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday that Russia could face more tariffs and sanctions if it does not end its war in Ukraine.
“I’m very, very pleased with Trump’s stance on imposing more sanctions on Russia. We know the Russian economy is doing very badly and sanctions are going to help,” he told CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. “
He expressed hope that Europe would now also “tighten” sanctions to “strangle the Russian economy” and reduce Moscow’s war coffers.
Rutte added: “Trump is right that Ukraine is closer to Europe, but Trump is also right that this is a geopolitical conflict, so I am sure that the United States wants to end it with a good and strong agreement. Finish.
Asked about his current assessment of the war between Ukraine and Russia, Rutte said, “At the moment, things are not moving in the right direction.”
President Trump warned Russia on Wednesday that it could face more tariffs and sanctions if it does not end the war in Ukraine. He has also previously threatened to cut military funding to Ukraine, a move that raised questions about whether Europe will need to decide whether to fill the gap left by the United States.
This breaking news story is being updated.
