NATO chief ‘very satisfied’ with Trump’s threat of sanctions against Russia

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday hailed newly installed US President Donald Trump’s warning that Russia could expect more tariffs and sanctions if it did not end the war in Ukraine.

“I was very, very happy with Trump’s position to put more sanctions on Russia. We know that the Russian economy is doing terribly and the sanctions will help,” he told CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland.”

He expressed hope that Europe will now also “step up” sanctions in an attempt to “stifle the Russian economy” and reduce Moscow’s war coffers.

“Trump is right, Ukraine is closer to Europe, but Trump is also right that it is a geopolitical conflict, so I am sure that the US wants it to end with a good and strong agreement,” Rutte added.

When asked about his current assessment of the war between Ukraine and Russia, Rutte said that “at the moment it is not moving in the right direction.”

Trump said on Wednesday that if no deal was reached to end the war between Russia and Ukraine soon, the United States would have “no choice but to put high levels of taxes, tariffs and sanctions on everything that is sold by Russia to the United States.” and various other participating countries.”

“Let’s get this war, which would never have started if I were president, over!” Trump said on the Truth Social platform. “We can do it the easy way or the hard way – and the easy way is always better.”

Trump has previously boasted that he could end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” of being elected, as well as threatening to cut military funding to Kiev. Concerns have grown in Europe that an economically and weapons-deprived Ukraine could be pushed into a bad peace deal involving territorial concessions to Russia.

This news story will be updated.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.