Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton criticized President Donald Trump’s threat of sanctions on Russia, calling it “meaningless” and “hollow,” particularly as Russia’s ongoing assaults on Ukraine show no sign of stopping.
On Friday, Trump announced that he was considering imposing sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a peace deal is reached with Ukraine. “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”
During a subsequent appearance on CNN’s “AC360,” Bolton was asked to clarify Trump’s position on sanctions. “He did it simply to try and show some kind of balance, given the things he had said about Zelensky and the Ukrainians,” Bolton explained.
“I think Putin completely understood that that threat was totally hollow,” Bolton added.
Bolton argued that, given Russia’s already fragile economy, any financial threats from Trump to pressure Putin into halting the war are “meaningless.” He also noted, “Last year, the only year we have full statistics, were a little bit less than $3 billion, which is trivial compared to the total volume of U.S. trade with the rest of the world.”
“So, the tariff thing is effectively meaningless. Banking sanctions, you know, if there are banking sanctions we haven’t imposed on Russia, I’d like to know why not?” Bolton remarked.
The Trump administration has faced accusations of softening its stance on Russia while continuing to apply pressure on Ukraine. Last week, it was reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had instructed U.S. Cyber Command to halt all cyber offensive operations against Russia, a move some critics have described as “indefensible.” On Monday, Trump suspended all military aid to Ukraine, including weapons already en route to the frontlines. Bolton condemned these actions as “despicable,” warning that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would have to rely on other NATO nations for support.
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