Trump says US ready for additional sanctions against Russia in wake of deadly attacks on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he is prepared to implement a new phase with additional sanctions on Russia, speaking in the wake of overnight attacks that killed four people and injured dozens in Ukraine.

Talking to reporters before departing for a tennis tournament in New York City, Trump answered affirmatively when asked if he was ready to move forward with more sanctions on Russia.

The remarks came after Russia launched a record 818 drones and missiles overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force command, surpassing the previous high of 728 from July.

Also asked if he plans to attack Venezuela, Trump said: “You’re gonna find out.”

Trump previously signed an executive order calling for increasing the use of military force against Latin American drug cartels.

A US naval group including seven warships and a submarine was dispatched to Caribbean waters near Venezuela on Aug. 28.

Trump also addressed domestic policy questions, saying that federal intervention in Chicago would not constitute warfare but rather urban cleanup efforts, despite his recent social media posting on Chicago alluding to Apocalypse Now, a famous Vietnam War movie, and writing: "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR."

Pressed on why his military operations on US soil do not target Republican-governed locales with higher crime rates than Chicago or Boston, Trump dismissed the assertion. Citing casualty numbers from recent weekends in Chicago, Trump said: “You think there's worse than that? I don't think so.”

Asked about embattled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who faced tough questioning before a congressional committee last week, Trump described him as "a different kind of a guy" with "a lot of good ideas."