Trump vows 100% tariff on Russia if war in Ukraine not stopped in 50 days
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US President Donald Trump on Monday (IST) threatened to impose a 100 per cent tariff on Russia if Moscow's hostilities in Kyiv don't come to an end and a deal is not reached in 50 days.
Trump made these remarks during a meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Bloomberg reported. He added, "We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%".
Without providing details, Trump said that the levies on Russia would come in the form of "secondary tariffs", a term which he has used in the past to describe duties imposed on nations for trading with American adversaries.
Trump hardens stance on Russia
Donald Trump has hardened his stance on Russia as Moscow's conflict with Kyiv entered its fourth year earlier in February. Since then, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, resulting in casualties. On July 9, Russia launched a deadly drone strike and missile attack on Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, despite several warnings by Trump.
Trump has also expressed his disappointment with Putin, as a peace deal with Ukraine has stalled. Before taking office in January 2025, the US President vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours. Peace talks were resumed between the two countries twice this year- first in Istanbul in mid-May and then in early June, but a third round is yet to be scheduled.
Trump approves sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine
Trump's hardened stance on Russia comes days after the US government agreed to resume deliveries of weapons to Ukraine after pausing them. Earlier on Monday, Trump announced that the US will be sending Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine to defend itself. In a major policy shift, Trump noted that the deliveries of missiles are crucial for Ukraine because Russian President Vladimir Putin "talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening", Reuters reported.
Trump to levy tariffs on Russia
Trump did not clarify on the powers he would use to impose secondary tariffs; he, however, added that he was not sure if they needed the US Congress to act in order to move forward, adding that the legislation "could be very useful."
His tariffs echo the punishment mentioned in a bipartisan bill in Congress that would impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas.
Trump hailed the announcement made Monday as he tries to push Putin to end the hostilities. He added, “I’m disappointed in President Putin because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there."
The recent shift in Trump's remarks shows how his willingness to deal with the Russian President is being tested. The recent change in his remarks also marks a departure from much of the ire he directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the first few months of his term.