‘If we’re unhappy about it… ’: Trump’s warning to Russia over new sanctions if Ukraine peace deal not reached

Trump’s comments came as Putin attended a grand military parade in China alongside President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday and the Kremlin leader reiterated his stance that Moscow will carry on its fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal is not reached.

.@POTUS: “I have no message to President Putin. He knows where I stand, and he’ll make a decision… we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy — and if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.” pic.twitter.com/dwKnbcGuRT

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 3, 2025

In what appeared to be a veiled threat, Trump said, “Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy, and if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”

A White House official said that the US president will also speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, after Zelenskyy and other European leaders said they expected a call from Trump.

The White House clarified that President Trump is scheduled to speak to President Zelenskyy, however, there is no call with President Putin currently set.

“I’m having a conversation with him very shortly, and I’ll know pretty much what we’re going to be doing…I’ll be speaking to him over the next few days, and we’re going to see,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office regarding his call with Zelenskyy.