Trump Claims Intel Pause on Ukraine Nearly Lifted, Declares Tariffs Will Make America Rich

President Donald Trump announced that the United States has "just about" lifted the intelligence-sharing pause with Ukraine, stressing the need for Ukraine to actively pursue a deal to end its ongoing war with Russia. "Russia doesn’t have the cards…What you have to do is you have to make a deal, and you have to stop the killing. It’s a senseless war, and we’re going to get it stopped," Trump declared while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening.

Trump's comments follow reports that, while the U.S. has resumed sharing defensive intelligence to help Ukraine counter incoming Russian strikes, offensive intelligence and other federal data remain restricted. Trump implied the pause is nearing its end, emphasizing that the U.S. is doing everything it can to push Ukraine toward peace negotiations. "We just about have," he reiterated when asked about lifting the pause. "And we want to do anything we can to get Ukraine to be serious about getting something done."

In a twist of political theater only Trump could deliver, he also tied Ukraine's willingness for peace to a minerals deal, hinting they need to "want peace at the moment." When questioned on how Ukraine should show its commitment to peace, Trump remarked, "I think right now they haven’t, but I think they will be, and I think it’s going to become evident over the next two or three days." He added, "This week, hundreds of people died in cities in Ukraine, and we got to get it stopped. It would have never happened if I was president." A bold claim, no doubt, but one that’s sure to stir debate.

During the nearly 10-minute conversation, Trump faced a range of questions, including potential sanctions or tariffs against Russia. He revealed that upcoming meetings in Saudi Arabia involving Russia and Ukraine would be crucial, expressing optimism: "A lot of people died this week, as you know, in Ukraine – not only Ukrainians but Russians. So, I think everybody wants to see it get done. We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week."

Switching gears, Trump doubled down on his defense of tariffs as a solution to America’s economic woes, despite concerns over their impact on retirement accounts. He brushed off fears of a recession, proclaiming, "The tariffs are going to be the greatest thing we’ve ever done as a country. They’re going to make our country rich again." According to Trump, these tariffs will reverse years of industrial decline caused by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he criticized for the closure of 90,000 U.S. factories since 1994.

In classic Trumpian fashion, he painted a rosy picture of the future, dismissing economic hesitations: "We’re going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we’re going to become so rich you’re not going to know where to spend all that money. I’m telling you, just watch. We’re going to have jobs. We’re going to have open factories. It’s going to be great." Whether this optimism proves prophetic or misguided remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure: Trump is sticking to his guns.