Donald Trump has stated he will impose tariffs on Russia if a deal to end the war in Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.
The former US president made this announcement during a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” Mr. Trump said.
He did not elaborate on the specifics of how these tariffs would be implemented.
“I use trade for a lot of things,” he added.
“But it’s great for settling wars.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday, fueling speculation of a possible shift in the Trump administration’s policy regarding the three-year war.
Mr. Rutte also planned to discuss matters with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and members of Congress.
Mr. Trump has prioritized quickly ending the war, and he has increasingly voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s firm stance against US-led peace initiatives.
Mr. Trump has often emphasized his positive relationship with Mr. Putin, and after assuming office in January, consistently stated that Russia appeared more receptive to a peace agreement than Ukraine.
Simultaneously, Mr. Trump accused Mr. Zelenskyy of prolonging the conflict and labeled him a “dictator without elections.”
However, Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas have tested Mr. Trump’s patience. In April, Mr. Trump urged Mr. Putin to “STOP!” the deadly barrages on Kyiv, and the following month, he expressed on social media that the Russian leader “has gone absolutely CRAZY!” as the bombardments continued.
“I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said,” Mr. Trump said late on Sunday. “He’ll talk so beautifully and then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that.”
Mr. Zelenskyy stated that he and Mr. Trump’s envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, had “a productive conversation” concerning bolstering Ukrainian air defenses, joint arms production, and the procurement of US weapons in collaboration with European countries, as well as the potential for stricter international sanctions against the Kremlin.
“We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its … ambitions are stopped by force,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
