WASHINGTON, DC – US President Donald Trump today issued a stark warning to Moscow, declaring that the United States would impose a sweeping 100 percent secondary tariff on countries trading with Russia if a ceasefire in Ukraine is not reached within the next 50 days.
The announcement, touted by Trump as “major” beforehand, came during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office.
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“We’re very, very unhappy with them, and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days, tariffs at about 100% you’d call them secondary tariffs,” Trump said of Russia, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
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 ultimatum follows closely on the heels of another significant move by the administration: the announcement yesterday that the US would sell Patriot missiles to European allies, with the implicit understanding that these arms could then be transferred to Ukraine.
This two-pronged approach signals a heightened pressure campaign from the White House aimed at ending the conflict.“We make the greatest military equipment in the world,” Trump asserted, referencing recent military actions.
He went on to elaborate, “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them. We, the United States, will not be having any payment made. We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.”
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Rutte’s visit to Washington includes further high-level discussions. He is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday and Tuesday, as well as engage with members of Congress. Rutte hailed the announcement as “really big,” stating, “The decision is that you want [to give] Ukraine what it needs to have to maintain [and] to be able to defend itself against Russia. But you don’t want Europeans to pay for it, which is totally logical.”
He confirmed that numerous countries, including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Canada, “all want to be part of this.”
Rutte also directly addressed Putin, saying, “If I was Vladimir Putin today and hear you speaking about what you were planning to do in 50 days, and this announcement, I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously than I was doing at the moment.”
He also highlighted the human cost, stating, “100,000 Russian deaths since January. This is what President Putin is doing at the moment.”
Trump reiterated his stance on the conflict, stating, “This is not Trump’s war. We’re here to try and get it finished and settled and whatever, because nobody wins with this.”
Trump expressed hope for progress in a ceasefire, noting, “I think you’re going to see strong movement. I hope so. I hope so. You know, the secondary tariffs are very, very powerful.”
He also commented on the legislative efforts, saying, “The Republicans are moving very strongly in the Senate, giving us total control of it. But I’m not sure we need it, but it’s certainly good that they’re doing it.”
A White House official clarified the US president means he will impose 100% tariffs on Russia, and secondary sanctions on countries that buy oil from Russia, if a deal isn’t struck within 50 days.
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