Washington, DC [US], July 15 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose 100% “secondary tariffs” on Russia if a deal to end the Ukraine conflict is not reached within 50 days. Speaking at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance and warned of severe consequences if progress was not made.
“We’re very unhappy with Russia. If we don’t have a deal in 50 days, we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs — about 100%. You’d call them secondary tariffs. I hope we don’t have to do it, but that’s the way it is,” Trump told reporters.
Trump criticised what he called President Biden’s mishandling of the conflict, saying, “It wasn’t my war. It was Biden’s war. I’m trying to get you out of it.” He claimed he was initially optimistic about reaching an agreement with Putin two months ago, but was disappointed by the lack of progress.
The president also announced a new agreement under which NATO will purchase billions of dollars worth of US-made military equipment and quickly distribute it to Ukraine. He framed the deal as a boost for both NATO capabilities and the American defense industry.
“The only one we haven’t been able to get to yet is Russia, and I’m not happy,” he said. “Ukraine wants to do something again. It’s a war that should never have started. If I were president back then, it never would have happened.”
Trump further lamented the human toll of the ongoing war, noting, “They’re losing five or six thousand people a day. Actually more now — soldiers and civilians. It’s got to stop.”
On the threat of secondary tariffs, he added, “It’s very simple. If we don’t have an agreement in 50 days, that’s what we’re doing. They’re biting, and I hope we don’t get to that point. But it can’t just be talk.”
Separately, last week US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, where he echoed Trump’s “disappointment and frustration” at the lack of progress in peace negotiations.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rubio called the conversation with Lavrov “frank and important,” adding, “We will engage anytime we have an opportunity to do so. We shared some ideas and comments to take back to Washington. The President’s been clear — he’s disappointed there hasn’t been more flexibility from Russia to end this conflict. We hope that can change.”
The White House has yet to announce specific details on the timeline or implementation of the proposed tariffs if no deal is reached within the president’s stated deadline.
(ANI)
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