US President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” at Russian President Vladimir Putin and threatened “secondary tariffs” on buyers of Russian oil if Moscow refuses a ceasefire with Ukraine.
In comments reported by NBC News, Trump said he was “pissed off” at Putin for casting doubt on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s legitimacy as a negotiating partner, and threatened curbs on “all oil coming out of Russia.”
He later added that he did not think the Russian president would “go back on his word.”
Photo: EPA-EFE / Russian Ministry of Defense
While Trump appeared to temper his remarks, the threats mark a significant change of tone for Washington and suggest a possible souring in relations with his Russian counterpart over the pace of ceasefire talks.
Before taking office, Trump said he could resolve the war quickly, but the conflict rages on more than two months later.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to put secondary tariffs on Russia,” Trump later clarified in comments to reporters on Air Force One, adding that he was “disappointed” with some of Putin’s recent comments on Zelenskiy.
“He’s supposed to be making a deal with him, whether you like him or don’t like him. So I wasn’t happy with that. But I think he’s going to be good,” he said.
Trump’s frustration was sparked by comments Putin made on Friday that implicitly challenged Zelenskiy’s legitimacy by proposing the UN should take over Ukraine with a temporary government overseen by the US and possibly even some European countries.
The Kremlin yesterday said that Putin remained open to contacts with Trump.
“If necessary, their conversation will be organized very quickly,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to the state-run Tass news agency, though he said no call had been scheduled yet.
Peskov also said that Russia was continuing to work with the US to build bilateral relations, according to Tass.
Meanwhile, Trump maintained pressure on Zelenskiy to agree to a deal to give the US access to Ukraine’s resources.
“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems — big, big problems,” Trump said. “If he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.”
Russia is one of the world’s three largest oil producers, meaning any attempt to punish purchases of Russian supplies could have a far-reaching effect on the oil market, and any disruptions could add to inflationary pressures.
Nevertheless, with a week of tariffs and other measures to evaluate — and the uncertainty that Russian supplies would really be hit with levies, oil barely moved.
Should the US press ahead, India and China, which have become the key buyers of discounted Russian barrels since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, would face particular pressure. Russian crude exports hit a five-month high last month and US sanctions on Russia’s oil tanker fleet are showing signs of faltering.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
RSS