Bolton on Russian sanctions threat: Trump laying the groundwork to say 'I'm done with it'

Former national security adviser John Bolton said Monday that President Trump could soon retreat from efforts to resolve Russia’s war with Ukraine. 

The Trump administration has been engaged with both Kyiv and Moscow in search of peace, while GOP lawmakers have pushed for secondary sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He didn’t get what he wanted, which was a quick ceasefire from his friend Vladimir. He tried for six months, it’s not going anywhere,” Bolton said of Trump during a Monday appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance.” 

“So now he’s justifying taking steps against Putin, but I think it also lays the groundwork for him to say, ‘I’m done with it, it’s Europe’s war, that’s what I said in the beginning, I’m done with it,’” he added. 

On Monday, the president threatened to impose tariffs on the Kremlin if Russia continues to reject ceasefire proposals. 

“We’re very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office.

Bolton said the increased pressure comes after Putin has outwitted Trump for months by prolonging the peace process. 

“I think he believed Putin was his friend — I think he still believes Putin was his friend. But you know, you can have arguments with your friends, they don’t last forever,” Bolton told anchor Leland Vittert.

“I think what was really going on today was that he was saying, ‘this is not my war, this is Biden’s war’, and in 50 days, he may put secondary sanctions on Russia or he may not. I think he’s trying to walk away from this,” he added. 

Last week, NATO leaders struck a deal with the Trump administration outlining the organization’s purchase of U.S. weapons to be sent to Ukraine in an effort to support the defense of their sovereign borders.

Trump said Monday the systems would include Patriot missile defense batteries to increase Ukraine’s air surveillance, providing more warning of incoming strikes from Russia.

“Look, a number of American commanders in Europe, former commanders in the European combatant command, have said they think Ukraine could win the war. And I think what the U.S. could do uniquely to help the Ukrainians out is give them a strategy to do that, and then give them the weapons systems that they need,” Bolton told NewsNation.

“And I understand it’s three years into this thing, but the fact is Putin thinks he’s on a roll now, he thinks he’s doing well in Ukraine militarily. I don’t understand how he believes that, but that’s what he believes. And a real defeat on the battlefield would have implications not just for what Russia’s done in Ukraine, but for Russia’s threat to all the former parts of the Soviet Union and to China watching America stand up to this aggression.”