WASHINGTON — President Trump threatened massive sanctions against Russia Friday over its continued attacks on Ukraine as he attempts to broker a cease-fire — before predicting later in the day that Vladimir Putin would be “more generous than he has to be” in peace talks.

“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!”

Trump, 78, has sought to pressure both sides to end the war and his aides are due to meet next week with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.

Later Friday, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he thought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was too resistant to making peace.

“I think we’re doing very well with Russia, and right now they’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine. I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine — and they don’t have the cards,” Trump said.

“In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising, because they have all the cards.”

“Ukraine has got to get on the ball and get a job done,” the president added.

On Thursday, Russia launched 194 drones — the second-most in a single night since the war began, after the 267 fired at Ukraine Feb. 23 — and 67 missiles, the most projectiles in recent memory, according to Kyiv’s State Emergency Services and the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

At least five Ukrainian civilians have been killed in Russian drone strikes since Tuesday, while more than 30 others have been wounded.

“I actually think [Putin] is doing what anybody else would do,” the president said in the Oval Office.

Although Trump had hours earlier threatened steep penalties on Russia, he then predicted that Putin would be magnanimous in ending the invasion he launched in February 2022 in a bid to regain control of the former Soviet republic. 

“Despite the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, I’ve always had a good relationship with Putin. And you know, he wants to end the war. He wants to end it, and I think he’s going to be more generous than he has to be. And that’s pretty good,” Trump said.

Special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the US and Ukraine would be discussing plans for a cease-fire after Washington paused military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

Zelensky was asked to leave the White House Feb. 28 after an Oval Office argument in which Trump faulted him for, among other things, being skeptical of the value of a temporary cease-fire.

“We can’t just speak about cease-fire and speak and speak. It will not work,” Zelensky said at that meeting, citing Putin’s record of broken agreements and fear of future attacks.

“Look, if you could get a cease-fire right now, I tell you you’d take it,” Trump responded at the time, “so the bullets stop flying and your men stop getting killed.”

The US president argues that a pending framework pact that would grant America a 50% stake in Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals would effectively give Kyiv security guarantees through the presence of US mining personnel. 

France and the UK also plan to deploy peacekeeping troops when fighting ends to shield against future incursions. 

Former President Joe Biden progressively increased economic pressure on Russia to halt the war but didn’t move to sanction oil exports until 10 days before he left office.

Biden also didn’t sanction many of Moscow’s oligarchs, including a pair of billionaires who shopped for US property with his son Hunter Biden during the Obama-Biden administration. 

— Additional reporting by Caitlin Doornbos in Sumy, Ukraine