Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Russia Over Ukraine Deal Delay

US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Russia, threatening to impose 'secondary tariffs' at 100% if a resolution for peace in Ukraine is not achieved within the next 50 days. The announcement came during a discussion at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the stalled negotiations.

Trump stated, 'We're very unhappy with Russia; if no deal is reached in 50 days, we'll enforce severe tariffs.' Despite acknowledging the hefty US expenditure of approximately $350 billion on the conflict, Trump emphasized it was Biden's war, expressing a desire to end it. In addition to the tariffs, Trump revealed a new agreement where NATO will procure military arms from the US, intended for distribution to Ukraine amidst the ongoing war.

Further, Trump reminisced about his discussions with Putin, citing the conflict as preventable had he been president. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump's sentiments of frustration with Russia's lack of progress in peace talks. Rubio, after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur, stated that the US remains committed to engaging all parties involved in an attempt to resolve the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)