Just In: Trump says US is sending people to Moscow ‘right now’ as he warns Putin of ‘very bad’ punishment if he rejects ceasefire….Read More

PRESIDENT Trump said the US is sending people to Moscow “right now” as he warns mad Russian leader Vladimir Putin of a “very bad” punishment if he rejects the 30-day ceasefire.

The Republican and Zelensky have both agreed on the long-awaited Ukraine truce, cornering the Russian tyrant to act soon.

Trump has threatened Russia with “devastating” trade and economic pressure from the US if Putin doesn’t agree to the ceasefire.

The President made the chilling warning as he spoke of administration efforts to end the bloody war in Ukraine in the Oval Office with Irish prime minister Micheal Martin.

Trump revealed: “There are things that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense.

“I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do it that because I want to get peace.”

Upon being asked what the US could do to pressure mad Vlad, the President added: “In a financial sense, yes we could do things that would be very bad for Russia, that would be devastating for Russia.

“But I don’t want to do that.”

Following the US proposal of an immediate ceasefire made during crunch talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Trump said the US had “some positive messages”.

The Republican told reporters: “Hopefully we can get a ceasefire.

It comes soon after the Kremlin said it will not make a decision on the US-proposed 30-day ceasefire until it hears from the White House.

Kremlin insiders have reportedly said Putin is now looking to meet Trump around April or May, according to The Moscow Times.

This potential meeting, which could also be held in Saudi Arabia, might coincide with Trump’s visit to the Middle East which he said would take place “within the next month and a half”.

This comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on mad Vlad to “end all hostilities” and the Ukrainian President said “everything depends” on Russia now.

Rubio put the heat on Putin and told reporters outside Shannon Airport that “If [Russia] says no, it will tell us a lot about what their goals are and what their mindset is”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also put direct pressure on the warlord calling the ceasefire “an important and correct step towards a just peace for Ukraine”, adding: “Now it’s up to Putin.”

This comes as Russia has continued to pummel Ukraine with deadly drone and missile strikes just hours after Zelensky agreed to a US-backed ceasefire.

On Tuesday, Dnipro faced “massive shelling” from intense aerial attacks which left four people dead, according to local press.

A blistering Russian double missile strike also hit Kryvyi Rih – where Zelensky was born – and sparked several dangerous fires to erupt.

Horrific footage showed the moment a missile hit a hotel in the city and left it crumbling with piles of debris piled up on the streets below.

The Druzhba Hotel is the fourth high-rise holiday block to be attacked in Kryvyi Rih across the past week.

Russia went on to unleash their Iranian-designed Shahed drones on Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv later in the night

EU was set up to take advantage of US,’ says Trump
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin is at the Oval Office with US President Trump ahead of the annual St Patrick’s Day meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said: “The EU was set up in order to take advantage of the United States.”

Upon being asked whether Ireland is also taking advantage of the US, the Republican said: “Of course they are.

“But the United States shouldn’t have let that happen.

We had stupid leaders, we had leaders who didn’t have a clue.

“All of a sudden Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies, this beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasps.”

Trump added that he would have to put an eye-watering 200 per cent tariff on pharmaceutical companies headed to Ireland “so you’re never going to be able to sell anything” into the US.

He said: “You know what they would have done? They would have stayed here.”