WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, that the White House is ready to move to the second phase of sanctions against Russia amid stalled peace talks to halt the Ukraine crisis.
When a reporter asked if he was ready to proceed with “the second phase of sanctions against Russia” as he departed the White House for New York, Trump answered, “Yeah, I am”. He did not provide further details.
According to a report from NBC News last week, which cited two senior administration officials, Trump has grown more pessimistic about the possibility of brokering an end to the conflict or seeing the Russian and Ukrainian presidents meet in person.
A key government building in Kyiv’s government district was attacked during Russia’s drone and missile assault overnight into Sunday morning, according to U.S. media outlets.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said it was the first time since the start of the conflict that the main government building in Kyiv had been damaged. / XINHUA