President Trump is imposing tariffs on Turkey and announced a plan to authorize sanctions on Turkish government officials involved in the assault on U.S. partners in Syria.

“The United States will aggressively use economic sanctions to target those who enable, facilitate, and finance these heinous acts in Syria,” Trump announced Monday afternoon. “I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey’s economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path.”

Statement from President Donald J. Trump Regarding Turkey’s Actions in Northeast Syria pic.twitter.com/ZCQC7nzmME — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2019

Trump touted multiple kinds of economic punishments for Turkey, eight days after announcing that he would clear the path for an assault on the Syrian Kurds, who did most of the fighting in the campaign to dismantle the Islamic State’s caliphate. Turkey will not be able to negotiate a trade deal with the United States, according to the president’s statement, and he will raise tariffs on Turkish steel from 25% to 50%.

“Turkey’s military offensive is endangering civilians and threatening peace, stability, and security in the region,” Trump said. “I have been perfectly clear with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]: Turkey’s action is precipitating a humanitarian crisis and setting conditions for possible war crimes.”

U.S. allies believe that Trump gave Erdoğan a “green light” to launch the offensive, only to lodge protests after he took criticism for abandoning the Kurds. Congressional Republicans hoped that sanctions would constrain Turkey even if Trump refused to oppose Erdoğan, but some lawmakers worry the reversals empower Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"If Putin could write the script it would go: - U.S. lets Turks slaughter Kurds, pushing Kurds closer to Assad/Russia,” Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted Monday. "U.S. then panics and sanctions Turkey, splintering NATO & solidifying Russia/Iran/Turkey axis. But Putin didn’t have to write it. Trump & GOP did it for him.”

Trump's forthcoming sanctions target "current and former officials" in the Turkish government, rather than full sectors of the Turkish economy. "This order will enable the United States to impose powerful additional sanctions on those who may be involved in serious human rights abuses, obstructing a ceasefire, preventing displaced persons from returning home, forcibly repatriating refugees, or threatening the peace, security, or stability in Syria," he said.

The announcement is less substantial than it might seem, according to some analyses. "Trump’s 'sanctions package' against Turkey regarding the latter’s Syria offensive isn’t surprising," tweeted Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "[Trump] wasn’t really going to sanction Turkey for a move for which he had green lighted Erdogan in the first place."

Senate Democratic leaders, in an echo of South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, argued Monday that it's not too late for the president to backtrack. "He can listen to his national security and military advisors, and to the chorus of bipartisan voices in Congress and across the world who made it clear that this was a grave mistake worth reversing," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. "Leaders are not those who are always right, but those who are willing to learn from their mistakes.”