"We're going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple. And they'll be at 100 percent, and that's the way it is," Trump told reporters, accompanied by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has threatened Russia and President Vladimir Putin with “very severe tariffs" if they do not stop the Ukraine War within 50 days.Trump tried to improve ties with Putin soon after starting his second term in January, aiming to keep his campaign promise to end the Ukraine war “in 24 hours”. His pivot towards Putin sparked fears in Kyiv that he was about to sell out Ukraine, especially after Trump and his team berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office in February. But Trump has shown growing anger and frustration with Putin in recent weeks as the Russian leader, instead of halting his three-year invasion, instead stepped up attacks.
"We're going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple. And they'll be at 100 percent, and that's the way it is," Trump told reporters at the White House. He was accompanied by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
US takes U-Turn on Weapons Delivery to Ukraine
Expressing his growing concern over Russian President Vladimir Putin's deceptive tactics in the wake of the recent aggressions against Ukraine, US President Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) confirmed that Washington will be sending its Patriot air defence systems to Kyiv, noting that the European Union will comprehensively cover the cost.
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Rutte's visit to the White House is the first since the former Dutch prime minister described Trump as "daddy" at a NATO summit in The Hague in June. Moscow has unleashed record waves of drone and missile strikes over the past few weeks, with the number of Ukrainian civilians killed or wounded in June hitting a three-year high, according to UN figures. Trump's announcement on Monday came as his special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv to meet Zelensky.
Zelensky hailed the "productive meeting", saying they had discussed “strengthening Ukraine's air defense, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe.” The Ukrainian leader also said he was "grateful to President Trump for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries," in an apparent reference to the pledge of new Patriots.
The deal for European and NATO allies to fund new weaponry for Ukraine has placated Trump, who has long complained about the United States funding Kyiv's fight against Moscow.Trump has also hinted he might be ready to slap sanctions on Moscow as momentum grows for a deterrent package in Congress.
"I haven't agreed on the number (of patriots) yet, but they're going to have some because they do need protection, but the European Union is paying for it. We're not paying anything for it, but we will send it. It'll be business for us, and we will send them Patriots (air defence system), which they desperately need because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nicely, and then he bombs everybody in the evening. There's a little bit of a problem there, and I don't like it," Trump had stated.
Trump upset with Putin
Last week, Trump had teased an announcement on Monday on Russia. He then announced on Sunday that he would send vital Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine to help it fend off escalating barrages of Russian attacks. "Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening," Trump said on Sunday. Last week he used an expletive when talking about the Kremlin chief.
Russian forces meanwhile said on Monday they had captured new territory in eastern Ukraine with the seizure of two villages, one in the Donetsk region and another in the Zaporizhzhia region. Its forces also killed at least three civilians in the eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions on Monday, regional Ukrainian officials announced. In Kyiv, Zelensky also proposed a major political shake-up, recommending economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko take over as the country's new prime minister. Svyrydenko said on social media that Ukraine was facing a "crucial time."
(With agency inputs)
