Trump says Russia has attacked Ukraine's allies for five years and signs sanctions bill

United States President Donald Trump stated on Friday at the White House that Russia has carried out operations against Ukraine's allies for several years. Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump addressed growing security concerns raised by European partners regarding potential Russian strikes against countries that provide military and logistical support to Kyiv. When asked about Polish assessments of Russian threats, Trump affirmed that Moscow has targeted Ukraine's partner nations over an extended period.

“They have been attacking Ukraine's allies for about five years. I think everybody agrees on that.”

Trump did not provide further operational details or intelligence specifics regarding the scope of those activities during his remarks at the White House.

Polish intelligence warnings of proxy and missile attacks

The president's comments came one day after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk delivered a security briefing to parliamentarians in Warsaw on Thursday. Tusk warned that intelligence services anticipate intensified Russian military and sabotage operations against Ukraine and its western partners over the coming weeks. According to intelligence assessments presented by Tusk to lawmakers, these disruptions could involve seemingly accidental drone and missile strikes on nations delivering aid to Ukraine, specifically including Poland.

The warning follows a sequence of security alerts in NATO member countries, notably the discovery of an explosive drone at Germany's Leipzig/Halle airport earlier in September. German officials attributed the attempted airport attack to Moscow, prompting scrutiny over allied vulnerability. When asked approximately two weeks ago whether the Leipzig incident constituted an attack on the alliance, Trump minimized the probability of direct conflict.

“I speak to him. I know him very well. Putin does not intend to attack NATO territory.”

Diplomatic warnings and the Graham sanctions legislation

Intelligence concerns regarding hybrid warfare have prompted direct diplomatic communication between Washington and Moscow in recent weeks. In late August, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow, where he delivered explicit warnings to Kremlin officials against conducting attacks on NATO allies.

On Friday, Trump signed into law a bipartisan sanctions measure passed by Congress to increase economic pressure on Russia. The legislative package carries the name of Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-time Trump confidant who died in July after drafting and advancing the bill. The measure imposes direct penalties on Russian political figures and corporations while introducing restrictions on Moscow's crude oil and natural gas exports.

Under the provisions of the new law, the United States administration is authorized to impose secondary sanctions on the five largest international buyers of Russian energy commodities. The statute also permits sanctions against the five countries that provide the greatest assistance in bypassing energy restrictions, a mechanism that could strain trade relations with major purchasers such as China and India. Additionally, the legislative package extends United States sanctions against Iran through the year 2031. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Trump for signing the measure into law.