In an interview with NBC News, the President of the United States declared that he is “very angry” and “upset” with Russian President Vladimir Putin for questioning the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership. Trump also threatened to impose tariffs on Russia if no agreement is reached.
Trump stated, “If Russia and I can’t reach an agreement to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I believe it was Russia’s fault – which it may not be – but if I believe it was Russia’s fault, I will impose secondary tariffs on oil, on all the oil that comes out of Russia.”
This statement comes in response to Vladimir Putin’s call on Friday (3/28) for the formation of a transitional government in Ukraine, which would remove Zelensky from his position.
“It would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil,” explained Trump.
Despite the Republican president’s frustration, Trump pointed out that Putin knows he is upset, emphasizing that they have a good relationship and that “anger dissipates quickly if he does the right thing.”
Iran
During the interview, Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran and impose secondary tariffs on the country if they do not reach an agreement with the United States to ensure they will not develop a nuclear weapon.
“If they don’t make a deal […] there will be bombings. They will be hit like they’ve never been hit before,” Trump warned.
Both countries are currently engaged in negotiations.