U.S. President Donald Trump vented his anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, stating that he was "pissed off" and warning that he would impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on nations buying Russian oil if Moscow blocks his attempts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
During a phone interview with NBC News, Trump expressed his outrage at Putin's recent statements calling into question the trustworthiness of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the leader. Trump signaled that he could impose the proposed trade sanctions within a month, an indication of his increasing frustration with the conflict, which started in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
"If Russia and I can't make a deal regarding ending the killing in Ukraine, and if I believe it was Russia's responsibility … I'm going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil that's coming out of Russia," Trump said.
He went on to explain:
"That would be, that if you purchase oil from Russia, you can't conduct business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on every oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on every oil."
Up to this point, Moscow has not released an official statement. Russia has before called Western sanctions "illegal," contending that they are meant to benefit the West's economic interests in its geopolitical competition with Russia.
Diplomatic Steps and Putin's Initiative on Ukraine
Trump, who was at his Palm Beach resort in Florida over the weekend, announced that he plans to talk with Putin this week. The leaders have had at least two publicly known phone calls in the past couple months, although the Kremlin indicated that there could have been more, secret calls. Trump, since being inaugurated in January, has made fixing the conflict that he has continued to refer to as a "ridiculous" war in Ukraine a top priority.
On Friday, Putin suggested putting Ukraine under temporary rule to make possible new elections that might oust Zelenskiy from office. Trump has also pushed for new elections in Ukraine, calling Zelenskiy a dictator.
Negotiations with Finland President and Imposing a Deadline for Ceasefire
In an unexpected trip to Florida on Saturday, Trump hosted Finnish President Alexander Stubb for talks that ranged from golf to diplomacy. Stubb's office subsequently announced that he encouraged Trump to give a deadline for negotiating a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He proposed April 20 as the deadline, which would be Trump's third month in office.
In contrast, U.S. officials have been pushing for a critical minerals agreement from Kyiv, with a leaked summary suggesting that Washington is seeking dominance over Ukraine's natural resource revenues for the foreseeable future. Zelenskiy has demanded that Ukrainian legal advisors review the accord before any decision is reached.
Potential Global Impact of Russian Oil Tariffs
Trump's comments on Sunday suggest that he might impose the secondary tariffs on U.S. imports from any country that continues to buy Russian oil—a step that could have a big impact on major economies such as China and India. This comes after his recent imposition of a 25% secondary tariff on U.S. imports from nations that are buying oil and gas from Venezuela.
Even though he was frustrated with Putin, Trump insisted that their relationship is still good.
"Putin knows I’m angry with him, but I have a very good relationship with him," Trump said.
"The anger dissipates quickly … if he does the right thing."
With tensions escalating over Ukraine and trade policies, the coming weeks could see critical diplomatic and economic shifts as Trump seeks to exert pressure on Moscow.
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