Subhechcha Ganguly 
US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that Washington and its European allies are ready to escalate sanctions against Moscow, declaring that a “second phase” of economic measures could bring Russia’s economy to “full collapse” if it does not halt its assault on Ukraine.
The announcement came hours after Russia carried out its largest aerial attack of the war, firing missiles and drones on Kyiv in strikes that killed at least four people and set ablaze Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers building — the first time the sprawling government complex has been directly hit in more than three years of conflict. Emergency officials reported dozens wounded, including a pregnant woman who delivered a premature baby after the bombardment.
“This is a deliberate crime,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a video message from inside the damaged complex. “We will restore the buildings. But we cannot bring back lost lives.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged a stronger US response, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “testing the world.” Zelensky also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, who pledged defense assistance, while other European leaders condemned Moscow’s tactics as “cowardly” and “mocking diplomacy.”
Speaking outside the White House, Trump said that additional sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries continuing to purchase Russian oil would cripple Moscow’s finances. “The US and the EU can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil — the Russian economy will be in full collapse and that will bring President Putin to the table,” he told reporters.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed the warning in an interview with NBC, stressing that Russia’s financial system would not withstand a coordinated Western economic offensive. He revealed that Trump and Vice President JD Vance had spoken with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to align options for the next wave of sanctions.
