In an interview that aired Sunday, Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs on oil coming out of Russia if he felt that progress in ending the war in Ukraine was hampered. He plans to talk to Putin next week.
In an interview with NBC, US President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” and “angered” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after criticizing Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky’s leadership.
The US president also added that Putin’s comments “will not go to the right place.”
Putin had suggested on Friday that Ukraine would be under temporary UN control until a “competent” government is elected. The proposal was rejected by Washington as Putin again targeted Kiev and Zelensky’s governments, who continue to accuse him of being “illegal.”
Offering more insight into his reasoning, Trump said, “The new leadership means you’re not going to make a deal for a long time, right?”
“If Russia and I can’t get a contract to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it’s Russia’s fault, it may not be, but if I think it’s Russia’s fault, I’ll put secondary tariffs on oil on all the oil that comes out of Russia.”
It was a major change in Trump’s tone for Russia, and he said he would talk to Putin within the next week.
Russia and Ukraine this month agreed to a limited 30-day ceasefire in the Black Sea, as a rule, but since then, both sides have continued to attack each other with drones and missiles.
Trump threatens to bomb Iran
In another interview on Saturday, Trump threatened to “bomb” Iran and apply “secondary tariffs” on the country if Iran refuses to make nuclear deals with the US to prevent it from developing weapons.
“If they don’t make a deal,” Trump said, he continued, “There will be bombings. They will bomb things they have never seen before.”
According to Trump, US and Iranian officials are in touch.
However, on Sunday, the Iranian president said he rejected direct consultations with the US over the Islamic Republic’s rapidly moving forward nuclear program, marking Tehran’s first response to a letter Trump sent to the country’s top leader, Ali Khamenei.
