Latvia Urges Trump to Impose Russia Sanctions Without Delay

By Staff, Agencies

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze has called on US President Donald Trump to immediately enact secondary sanctions on Russia, rather than waiting the full 50 days outlined in his recent warning.

Speaking to Politico on Wednesday, Braze said, “It should be earlier,” arguing that delaying punitive measures makes little sense while Russian forces continue to advance.

Her remarks followed Trump’s Monday threat to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that maintain trade with Russia if a peace deal over Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

Braze insisted that Western intelligence assessments — including from the US — show “no indication that [President Vladimir] Putin wants peace.”

She said the time to pressure Moscow back to the negotiating table is now, and emphasized that sanctions should target Russia’s military capabilities, not its civilian population.

“It’s about the Russian war fighting capacity and what they are doing on the battlefield,” she said.

Moscow, however, maintains that it remains open to diplomacy, provided that any resolution is legally binding and addresses what it views as the root causes of the conflict.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov condemned Trump’s threats, saying, “Any attempts to make demands, let alone issue ultimatums, are unacceptable.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Washington should instead pressure Kiev, accusing Ukraine of interpreting Western support as encouragement to prolong the war.

Meanwhile, The Economist reported skepticism among international investors about whether Trump will follow through on his threat. Analysts cited fears of an “inflation shock” and potential strains with China—risks Trump may be reluctant to escalate.