Trump can make Russia pay — not by deploying troops, but by taking action with what’s already in US hands. As detailed in a Forbes op-ed by Andy J. Semotiuk, after President Trump’s recent phone call with Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin rejected any peace and resumed bombing Ukraine.

Reports indicated that Russia launched nearly 5,500 missiles and rockets in June 2025 alone. Up to 1,000 drone strikes per day could hit Ukraine in August.

Even as the West backs Ukraine militarily, it continues buying Russian oil and gas — channeling far more money into Putin’s war machine than it sends to Ukraine, Forbes says. Since February 2022, Western energy payments have tripled the aid given to Kyiv. Russia, meanwhile, has inflicted over $552 billion in theft and destruction — looting grain, steel, industrial equipment, and flattening critical infrastructure.

Russia’s looting campaign has cost Ukraine over half a trillion dollars

According to Forbes, Russia has inflicted more than $552 billion in theft and destruction across Ukraine — seizing over 1,150 companies, looting grain and steel, and devastating infrastructure. These losses underscore the scale of Moscow’s economic war alongside its military one.

Forbes: Trump can’t stop the war with words — but he can with Russian money

Frozen Kremlin assets can fund Ukraine’s defense

Semotiuk notes that $330 billion in frozen Russian sovereign funds are sitting untouched in Western banks. Trump can make Russia pay by leading a legal effort to seize those funds — a move with precedent, as the US has done with Iraq and Afghanistan. That money alone could cover Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction for three years. Acting swiftly would likely push allies like Canada, the UK, and EU states to follow.

Historian Timothy Ash, quoted in the op-ed, estimates Ukraine needs $150 billion annually to secure victory. If it loses, NATO could face over $4.5 trillion in defense spending within a decade. Mass refugee waves, destabilized markets, and aggressive moves by China or North Korea would likely follow. Funding Ukraine now prevents far greater costs later — both financial and strategic.

Shift energy policy to isolate Russia and protect US interests

Semotiuk argues that supporting Ukraine also means cutting off Russia’s revenue stream. The US and its allies — especially Canada — have the capacity to replace Russian energy in global markets. That would boost Western economies and deny Putin the cash to wage war. Countries still purchasing Russian oil — including China, India, Türkiye, Brazil, and several EU members — should face strict US sanctions.

Ukraine has earned America’s support — and needs it now

For over 30 years, Ukraine has supported every major US military operation. In return, Washington pledged protection in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, when Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal. Turning away now, Semotiuk warns, would shatter US credibility.

The op-ed notes that Ukraine has already inflicted immense damage on Russia’s military: over a million troops dead or wounded, the Black Sea Fleet decimated, and weapons facilities under constant attack. All without a single American soldier on the battlefield.