Trump Puts Russia on Notice Over Ukraine Conflict: Severe Tariffs

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump has warned that he will impose “severe” tariffs of up to 100% on countries trading with Russia if a resolution to end the Ukraine conflict is not achieved within 50 days.

Trump issued the warning on Monday during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office.

“We’re very, very unhappy – I am – with [Russia], and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days,” he stated.

Trump blamed his predecessor Joe Biden for dragging Washington into the conflict, saying the US had spent approximately $350 billion on aid for Ukraine.

The US president also mentioned a congressional bill that would impose tougher sanctions on Russia, saying, “I’m not sure we need it, but it’s good they’re doing it... could be very useful.” A Senate vote is expected next week.

He pointed out that without progress on the Ukraine issue, the US could move forward with secondary tariffs—penalties on countries trading with Russia—which could be implemented without needing approval from Congress.

Trump also announced that the US will send weapons to Ukraine through NATO, which would handle both payment and distribution.

“We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them,” he said.

Russia has repeatedly denounced the West for supplying Ukraine with weapons, warning that this only serves to prolong the conflict and makes no impact on its outcome.

The Russian stock market soared on Trump’s remarks, with the main index jumping nearly 3%, according to data from the Moscow Exchange.