Ready to proceed with a second stage of sanctions against Russia, due to the conflict with Ukraine, Donald Trump declared on Sunday at the White House, after the largest-ever airstrike on Ukrainian targets on the night of Saturday to Sunday.

"Are you ready to move forward with the second phase of sanctions against Russia, punishing Putin?" a reporter asked him."Yes, I am," Trump replied.

Trump: I am

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When asked in the Oval Office if he had spoken with Vladimir Putin, Trump said:"I learned things that will be very interesting. I think in the next few days you will learn whatever comments there are."

Trump did not specify what, if any, the consequences would be if a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky did not take place.

"We'll see what happens. We'll see what they do and what happens. I'm watching it very closely," Trump said.

On August 22, Trump said he would know what to do in two weeks. That deadline is approaching on Friday.

The conditions Trump sets for von der Leyen

Following the Russian attack, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant told NBC News that Washington was ready to step up pressure on Moscow and called on the Europeans to do the same, effectively once again making Europe's participation a condition for imposing secondary sanctions against Russia.

The US president and Vice President J.D. Vance had a very productive conversation on Friday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also spoke with Bessend. We are discussing what the EU and the US can do together. And we are ready to increase the pressure, the US Treasury Secretary said.

Moscow is already under suffocating sanctions from Washington and Brussels, but it has found buyers for its oil and gas in India and elsewhere.