Sanctions were imposed on Russia’s VTB Bank in February 2022, and it was kicked off the interbank payment system called SWIFT. SWIFT is the global messaging network that enables banks worldwide to communicate and process international money transfers, and without access, VTB should have been isolated from global finance.

For years, Donald Trump criticized presidents for empty threats. He often pointed to then-President Barack Obama failing to enforce his “red line” on Syria using chemical weapons. During his first term in 2017, Trump called it a “blank threat” that cost us “in many other parts of the world.”

President Donald Trump again threatened Russia with “massive sanctions” over the war in Ukraine unless an agreement can be reached in about two weeks, swerving back to a tougher stance after an inconclusive meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

As Trump and Putin gear up for their Alaska summit, the stage is set for what could be a fresh chapter in US-Russia relations. The high-profile meeting is scheduled to take place at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

President Donald Trump said Friday he would “rather not” join a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he left the door open.