Trump Reconsiders Russia Sanctions—What Changed in 2025?

Flip-flop or strategic pivot? The former president's stance on Moscow takes a new turn.

Sanctions whiplash: After years of resistance, Trump's team now weighs economic penalties against Russia—just as crypto markets shrug off geopolitical risk (again).

Behind the reversal: Sources suggest pressure from GOP hawks and defense contractors—because nothing sharpens foreign policy like election math and defense stock portfolios.

Market irony: While DC debates sanctions, Bitcoin traders yawn—proving once again that decentralized networks move faster than bureaucratic consensus.

Closing thought: In geopolitics as in crypto, the most expensive mistake is being on the wrong side of a trend... though at least politicians get lobbyists to soften the blow.

Trump targets Putin over rising death toll and considers punishing sanctions

Trump has recently taken a harder line against Putin. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump expressed frustration with the Russia-Ukraine war, saying, “He’s killing a lot of people… his soldiers and their soldiers, mostly, and it’s now up to 7,000 a week.” Trump also accused Putin of spreading lies, saying he’s “spouting bullshit.”

That same day, Trump said he’s now “very strongly” considering backing a long-delayed sanctions bill aimed at putting economic pressure on Russia. The bill WOULD slap heavy tariffs on any country importing Russian energy, and would also target foreign companies that help keep Russia’s energy production running.

John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader, confirmed that lawmakers were ready to move, saying there’s “a lot of interest” in bringing the legislation to the floor. “We’ll have more to say about that later this week,” Thune told reporters.

Although the legislation already has enough votes in both chambers of Congress, Republican leadership has been waiting for a clear signal from Trump before acting. Now that the GOP megabill has passed and cleared the legislative calendar, attention is shifting back to sanctions.

During the Cabinet meeting, Trump said, “I’m looking. It’s totally at my option. They pass it totally at my option, and to terminate totally at my option. And I’m looking at it very strongly.”

Trump weighs his options after previously rejecting sanctions

Even with this new tone, Trump hasn’t been fully convinced that sanctions will stop Putin. According to Politico, Trump has told allies he doesn’t think sanctions are effective. He voiced similar skepticism last month in a meeting with Germany’s chancellor, where he described the proposed legislation as “a harsh bill, very harsh.”

But his public statements this week hint at a possible change. Trump may not be committing to signing the bill yet, but his comments appear designed to push the Senate to send it to his desk.

By doing that, Trump increases his leverage over Putin while keeping his own hands free. One person close to the administration described the strategy as expanding Trump’s options without locking him into anything.

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