President Donald Trump’s tariff negotiations have been largely successful. Not so for his efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s escalating aggression in the European country. Time and again the president has expressed optimism after speaking with Putin about winding down the hostilities. But his confidence has repeatedly collided with the reality that Putin has no intention of abandoning his Ukraine campaign unless he is forced to do so.

Recently, the White House gave Russia 50 days to agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine or face potential consequences. On Monday the president shortened the time frame to 10 or 12 days. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump said the deadline would trigger “sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs.”

Putin seems to believe that, by appearing receptive to Trump’s entreaties, he can keep the United States at bay while intensifying his deadly campaign and perhaps leading the president to abandon Ukraine. But that would be a mistake akin to President Joe Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. It is also unlikely to happen, given bipartisan support in Congress — and growing public backing, according to recent opinion polls — for standing up to Russian aggression.

One option Trump should consider is the pending Senate bill — with 85 sponsors from across the political spectrum — that would levy large secondary tariffs on imported goods from nations that have helped finance Putin’s war.

“The ultimate hammer to bring about the end of this war will be tariffs against countries, like China, India and Brazil, that prop up Putin’s war machine by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas,” said a statement from the bill’s primary sponsors, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The tariffs would be intended “to entice Putin to come to the peace table.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said two weeks ago that the upper chamber would delay voting on the legislation given that Trump may unilaterally take similar measures when his Russian deadline expires. “If at some point the president concludes that it makes sense and adds value and leverage that he needs in those negotiations to move the bill, then we’ll do it,” Sen. Thune told Politico. “We’ll be ready to go.”

It’s an offer Trump shouldn’t refuse and would send an important message to Putin and our allies alike about American resolve when it comes to Ukraine.

— From Tribune News Service