President Donald Trump still holds leverage for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, with severe sanctions on Russia and countries that do business with it set to begin next week if Vladimir Putin does not agree to a ceasefire, Matthew Whitaker told Newsmax on Thursday.

Russia attacked Kyiv overnight with a volley of missiles and drones, killing eight people and wounding 82 others. Trump reportedly said Tuesday in Scotland that the U.S. would impose tariffs, sanctions and secondary sanctions on Russia “10 days from today” (Aug. 8) if Moscow showed no progress toward ending the war. He also supports bipartisan legislation in Congress that would impose 500% tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, natural gas, uranium, or other exports.

“President Trump obviously understands leverage better than anyone,” Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told “American Agenda.” “And I think him announcing that on Aug. 8 without a ceasefire that he’s going to implement, really I would call devastating tariffs and sanctions on Russia. … The bottom line is, Putin needs to sell his oil.

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