US President Donald Trump said yesterday he was “pissed off” at Russian President Vladimir Putin and will impose secondary tariffs of 25 per cent to 50pc on buyers of Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump told NBC News he was angry after Putin last week criticised the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s leadership, NBC News reported, citing a telephone interview early yesterday.
Trump said he could impose the new trade measures within a month, in comments that reflect his growing frustration about the lack of movement on a ceasefire in the three-year conflict, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“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 25pc tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow. Russia has called numerous Western sanctions and restrictions “illegal” and designed for the West to take economic advantage in its rivalry with Russia.
Trump, who spent the weekend at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, told NBC News he planned to speak with Putin this week. The two leaders have had two publicly announced telephone calls in recent months but may have had more contacts, the Kremlin said in video footage last week.
Since taking office in January, Trump has focused heavily on ending what he calls a “ridiculous” war in Ukraine. Putin on Friday suggested Ukraine could be placed under a form of temporary administration to allow for new elections that could push out Zelenskiy.
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