US President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” after Vladimir Putin criticized Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s credibility. In an NBC News interview, Trump expressed frustration, saying this approach “is not going in the right location” and that “new leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time.”
Oil Tariff Threats
Trump warned of economic consequences if Russia fails to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, marking a shift in his tone toward Putin.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault… I am going to put secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia,” he stated.
These secondary tariffs could reach up to 50% on goods entering the US from countries still purchasing Russian oil, primarily targeting China and India. Trump noted these tariffs would be implemented within a month without a ceasefire deal.
Shifting Diplomatic Relations
This represents the first serious US threat against Russia for delaying ceasefire negotiations. Despite his anger, Trump maintained he has “a very good relationship” with Putin and that “the anger dissipates quickly… if he does the right thing.”
The change comes after weeks of criticism that Trump was too accommodating to Putin while making significant demands of Zelensky, whom Trump himself previously called a “dictator.”
War Status and Responses
Russia has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a 30-day ceasefire. Putin suggested Zelensky be removed from office as part of any peace process, while Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin said expecting an immediate breakthrough would be “naive.”
Zelensky responded that “Russia continues looking for excuses to drag this war out” and that “Putin is playing the same game he has since 2014,” when Russia annexed Crimea.
Russia’s invasion, which began in February 2022, has resulted in over 100,000 Russian military casualties according to independent analyses, with Russia currently controlling about 20% of Ukrainian territory.