Trump admits love for Russian people and offers Putin ‘a deal’

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a thinly-veiled ultimatum to Russia, urging it to wrap up the special military operation in Ukraine and strike a “deal” or face new sanctions and high import tariffs.

Trump issued the warning in a post on his Truth Social online platform, proclaiming his “love” for the Russian people and insisting he was “not looking to hurt Russia.”

“We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process,” he wrote, exaggerating the estimated Soviet Union losses more than twofold.

“All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump asserted.

Should no “deal” on the matter materialize “soon” enough, Trump would “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.” The US president also reiterated his talking point of choice, that the Russia-Ukraine conflict “never would have started” if he was in office instead of his predecessor Joe Biden.

“We can do it the easy way, or the hard way - and the easy way is always better,” Trump warned Moscow.