Trump threatens Putin with 100% secondary tariffs if he doesn't broker peace in 50 days
The president warned Moscow of future sanctions while meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to seal a deal to send arms to Ukraine.
Mark Rutte and Donald Trump
Donald Trump threatened his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday with "very severe" tariffs if he does not agree to peace with Ukraine within 50 days.
Sitting in the Oval Office next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the president assured that he will punish Moscow with "secondary tariffs," which affect trade partners of the targeted country. The rate of these tariffs would be 100%.
"I hope we don't have to do it," he said after assuring that he was "disappointed" with Putin because he believed they had reached an agreement two months ago.
Russia's main trading partners include China, the first, India, Turkey and Brazil, according to the specialized site Observatory of Economic Complexity.
The president on Monday celebrated a new agreement with NATO to reinforce Ukraine at no cost to American taxpayers.
"We make the best and we are going to send the best to NATO," Trump said. Members of the alliance, such as Germany, Norway and Denmark, will pay for the weaponry sent, and the international organization will take care of distribution.
"It will mean that Ukraine can get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment, both for air defence, but also missiles, ammunition," Rutte added.
"If I was Vladimir Putin today I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously." He added that in his eyes, "this is really great news" for Ukraine.
Over the weekend, Trump announced that the U.S. will send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.
"It is very positive that President Trump is taking a strong stance on Russia," said European Union diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas.
However, she assured that "50 days is a very long time" when you consider that "they are killing innocent civilians" daily. "It is clear that we all need to put more pressure on Russia so that they would also want peace."
Zelensky appreciates the support
The purpose of the meeting, according to Kellogg himself, was to discuss the arms shipment agreement through NATO: "Funded entirely by allies, it speeds delivery, supports Ukraine’s defense, strengthens NATO unity, and underscores his commitment to peace through strength," he later wrote.
"We discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer," Zelensky maintained after the meeting. "This includes strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, joint production, and procurement of defense weapons in collaboration with Europe. And of course, sanctions against Russia and those who help it."
"I thank Keith Kellogg for this visit to Ukraine. I am grateful to President Trump for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries. We deeply value the support of the American people," he added.
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