Amid escalating crises in Ukraine and Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump sought to project control on Sunday, signaling tougher sanctions against Russia and issuing what he called a “final warning” to Hamas over hostage negotiations.
Speaking after Russia’s most intense strike of the war—an overnight barrage of drones and missiles on Kyiv that killed at least four people and set fire to government buildings—Trump offered only a muted response, saying he was “not happy” with the situation. He added that European leaders would meet him in Washington this week to discuss the conflict and confirmed plans for another conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon.”
Ukrainian servicemen shoot down a Russian missile as smoke rises from the city during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 7, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
Earlier from the White House, Trump said he was ready to move forward with a second phase of sanctions on Moscow. Asked directly if he was prepared to punish Putin further, he replied: “Yes, I am.”
Push for a Gaza Deal
Turning to the conflict in Gaza, Trump expressed confidence that a deal with Hamas was imminent. “I think we will have an agreement for Gaza very soon,” he told reporters, adding that he believed all hostages—alive and dead—would be returned.
Hours earlier, Trump used Truth Social to declare that Israel had already accepted his terms and warned Hamas that refusal would bring consequences. “This is my final warning, there will not be another,” he wrote.
According to Israeli media, Washington has sent Hamas a proposal through mediators: on the first day of a ceasefire, all remaining hostages would be released in exchange for the freeing of thousands of Palestinian prisoners and negotiations toward ending the war.
A Palestinian woman carries a prayer mat at the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a tent, in Gaza City, September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Hamas confirmed it had received the offer and said it was ready to negotiate immediately, but demanded a clear commitment that the war would end and that Israeli troops would fully withdraw from Gaza.
An official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said Israel was “seriously considering” the U.S. proposal, without providing further details.
