Trump Condemns ‘Disgusting’ Russian Strikes on Kyiv, Dispatches Witkoff to Moscow

WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump on Thursday condemned Russia’s recent strikes on Kyiv as “disgusting” and signaled his plans to impose sanctions on Moscow if no agreement can be reached. But he also distanced himself from the conflict by calling it “Biden’s war.”

The move comes as experts argue that sanctions alone will not be enough to stop Moscow’s aggression and that a longer war is increasingly likely.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, a real estate investor with no prior diplomatic experience, would travel to Israel and then, “believe it or not,” to Russia.

The move follows Trump’s recent frustration with Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s lack of progress toward a ceasefire, which led the president to shorten a 50-day ceasefire deadline to “something like 10 days.”

On the new sanctions, which he said would be implemented within “about eight days,” Trump voiced doubt about their effectiveness.

“I don’t know that sanctions bother him… I don’t know if that has any effect,” he said. “But we’re going to do it.”

On Thursday, Senior US official John Kelley told the UN Security Council that Trump has set Aug. 8 as the deadline for Russia and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire agreement.

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Trump’s announcement followed a revelation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the US had held new talks with senior Russian officials this week.

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However, Rubio told Fox News Radio that the discussions, which did not involve Putin, made “no progress” toward a peace deal.

The State Department has been guarded about the details. When pressed by Kyiv Post for more information, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told a daily press briefing he had “nothing to read out.”

As for Russia’s continued attacks on Kyiv, Pigott provided a lengthy explanation of the administration’s position. “We have been clear. The president’s been clear and so has the secretary [of state]. About how we view recent actions from Russia,” Pigott told Kyiv Post’s correspondent.

He underscored Trump’s consistent message. “The president said we need to see action, not words,” he explained. “He’s been very clear on that. He’s been very consistent, and he’s spoken on this very publicly in recent days.”

The spokesperson also said that the administration’s “driving principle” remains a peaceful resolution.

“Our hope is that we can get the sides to the table, that they can have conversations to ceasefire, that there can be conversations that lead to a long and enduring peace,” Pigott later added. “Our fundamental, our driving principle here is to end the bloodshed that remains that continues.”

Experts warn of longer war, ineffectiveness of sanctions

The latest Russian attack on Kyiv prompted sharp criticism from humanitarian experts.

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, a US-based humanitarian organization providing support to Ukrainian communities impacted by the ongoing conflict, told Kyiv Post that the war could last “for another two-three years” and that Putin “appears to enjoy killing innocent people.”

Boyechko argued that sanctions are insufficient to stop Russia, especially with financial support from China.

He called for a three-step plan: a public condemnation of the attack from the highest levels of the US government, an immediate new shipment of military aid to Ukraine, and the use of frozen Russian assets to pay for that aid.

“The only way to stop Russia now is to target the factories producing the deadly weapons they unleash on Ukrainian civilians every night,” Boyechko told Kyiv Post, adding that using frozen assets would “send the strongest message to the Kremlin that the USA and EU are not playing games no more.”