Trump threatens secondary tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to ceasefire
US President Donald Trump has threatened to slap secondary tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow is unable to make a peace deal with Washington over Ukraine.
Delegations from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia last week to discuss a rapid ceasefire in Ukraine.
However, the Kremlin downplayed any expectations of a quick end to the war.
Trump said on Sunday he will impose secondary tariffs of 25 percent to 50 percent on all Russian oil if he feels Moscow is hindering his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and they could start within a month if there is no ceasefire.
The US president told NBC News by phone that he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin again this week. Earlier this month, Trump and Putin had agreed in a phone call conversation that the “movement to peace will begin” with a 30-day pause in attacks on the energy sites.
However, soon after, Russia said that Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky had ordered the Kiev forces to launch a “deliberate” attack on an oil depot in the country in an attempt to sabotage the agreement between Trump and Putin.
Putin on Friday suggested replacing Zelensky with a form of temporary administration. The Russian leader said removing Zelensky would allow for a peace deal to hold and for presidential elections postponed due to the war to be held.
Trump, who himself has dubbed Zelensky a dictator and called for new elections in Ukraine, told NBC News he was angry with Putin's suggestion.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised his supporters that he would rapidly end what he described as the “ridiculous” war in Ukraine. And, since taking office on January 20, he has been making pretentious efforts to end it.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault ... I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump said.
“That would be, that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” Trump said. “There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.” He said the tariffs on Russian oil would come within a month without a ceasefire deal.
President Trump said the Russian leader was aware that he was angry with him, but said he had “a very good relationship with him” and “the anger dissipates quickly... if he does the right thing.”
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