White House official Sebastian Gorka said Monday on Newsmax that President Donald Trump remains committed to ending the war in Ukraine, but has concluded Russian President Vladimir Putin has no genuine interest in peace, prompting a fresh wave of U.S.-led military support for Kyiv.
Gorka, senior director for counterterrorism at the White House and deputy assistant to the president, said that Trump is intensifying pressure on Russia after concluding that Putin is unwilling to negotiate peace.
"Well, nothing has changed in terms of the president's commitment to end the war," Gorka said during an appearance on "Rob Schmitt Tonight."
"And now he's basically said, OK, Putin is recalcitrant. He simply doesn't want to negotiate. And he thinks that he is in prime position — and he's wrong."
Gorka said Trump was "absolutely shocked" after a recent call with the former KGB colonel, believing a ceasefire might be near. Instead, after the call, Russia escalated attacks with missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian civilian targets. That, Gorka said, prompted a shift in strategy.
"I was in the room when the president actually made that statement earlier today," Gorka said, referencing Trump's announcement about new military support for Ukraine. "We're going to give Ukraine what it needs to protect itself."
According to Gorka, the decision stems from Russia's renewed aggression and Trump's frustration with what he sees as bad faith by the Kremlin.
"And the president said, 'OK, you want to play that game? Well, we're going to give the very best weaponry in the world to Ukraine.'"
Speaking earlier Monday at the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump also vowed to punish Russia economically if a ceasefire is not reached by September.
"We're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days," Trump said. "Tariffs at about 100%, you'd call them secondary tariffs."
Trump said NATO countries will purchase advanced U.S. weapons systems — including Patriot air defense missiles — and deliver them to Ukraine. He emphasized that while the United States is supplying the technology, the financial burden will fall on Ukraine's European allies.
"And of course, because it's President Trump and the art of the deal, we're not going to pay for it," Gorka said. "Our European allies are going to pay for it. Why? Because the war is happening on their continent."
The president, speaking to reporters Sunday, said the Patriot systems are crucial to Ukraine's defense, particularly given Putin's deceptive rhetoric.
"He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," Trump said. "We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need because Putin really surprised a lot of people."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.