US President Donald Trump confirmed he is preparing to move forward with a second phase of sanctions against Russia, signalling greater pressure on President Vladimir Putin. This comes after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to NBC on Sunday, said only the complete collapse of Russia’s economy—triggered by additional sanctions and secondary tariffs on nations purchasing its oil—could push Putin to the negotiating table.
According to news agency ANI, when asked if he was ready to proceed with tougher measures, Trump said, “Yes, I am…”
#WATCH | Washington, DC | On being asked if he is ready to move to the second phase of sanctions against Russia and punishing Putin, US President Donald Trump says, “Yes, I am…”
(Source: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/Z4QHLXA07y
— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2025
Earlier, speaking to NBC, Bessent said, “We are in a race now between how long the Ukrainian military can hold out versus how long the Russian economy can survive. If the US and the EU impose more sanctions, more 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 noted that India, one of the largest importers of Russian crude, remains a crucial focus despite Trump’s recent warm public exchanges with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Washington has already imposed heavy tariffs on New Delhi over its energy links with Moscow.
Bessent added, “We are ready to raise the stakes, but our partners in Europe must follow.”
Kyiv Government Headquarters Hit in Russia’s Largest Strike Since Invasion
Ukraine’s capital came under its heaviest aerial bombardment since the start of the war. According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched 810 drones and decoys along with missiles on Sunday. Officials said 747 drones and four missiles were intercepted, but strikes still caused widespread destruction, Associated Press reported.
Smoke was seen rising from the Cabinet of Ministers building in central Kyiv, which was damaged in the attack, as per AP’s report. This marks the first time since February 2022 that a government building in the capital has been directly hit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed four people were killed and 44 others injured. He said he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron about the strikes. “Together with France, we are preparing new measures to strengthen our defence,” Zelenskyy said, as quoted by AP.
Macron accused Moscow of “striking indiscriminately,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also condemned the assault. “These cowardly strikes show that Putin believes he can act with impunity. He is not serious about peace. Now, more than ever, we must stand firm in our support for Ukraine and its sovereignty,” Starmer said in a statement.
Kyiv officials reported that a mother and her three-month-old baby were killed when drones struck residential buildings in the city. Ten locations across the capital sustained damage, including blocks in the Sviatoshynskyi and Darnytskyi districts.
“I just have no more words left to express what I feel towards Russia,” said Olha, a 77-year-old Kyiv resident whose flat was damaged, as per AP. “Although I’m an ethnic Russian myself, from outside Moscow. And I’ve never thought my people would be capable of this.”
Zelenskyy denounced the attack, stating, “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war. The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop killing; only political will is needed.”
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted a video from inside the damaged government building. “For the first time since the start of full-scale invasion, Russians struck our government headquarters in the centre of Kyiv,” she said, urging Western allies to strengthen sanctions and help close Ukrainian airspace.
Russia Claims Military Targets; Ukraine Hits Back
The Russian Defence Ministry maintained that its “high-precision weapons” had only struck drone assembly sites, air bases, and other military facilities, denying deliberate attacks on Kyiv’s government buildings.
Meanwhile, Moscow reported intercepting 100 Ukrainian drones across Russian regions, Crimea, and the Azov Sea. Local authorities in Krasnodar said falling debris ignited a fire at an oil refinery, while injuries were reported in Belgorod and Voronezh.
The ministry also claimed its troops had seized the village of Khoroshe in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, though Kyiv has not confirmed this.
