Trump ‘very angry’ and ‘pissed off’ with Putin, threatens tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow blocks Ukraine deal | World News
US President Donald Trump has said that he is “very angry” and “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after attempting to broker a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and said he would impose sanctions on buyers of Russian oil if he feels that the Kremlin is blocking the deal negotiation.
Citing a telephone interview with NBC News, it’s reported that Trump was angry with Putin after he raised doubts over the credibility of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership last week. The US president even threatened to impose a 50% tariff on countries buying Russian oil if Putin doesn’t agree to a ceasefire deal.
Trump’s frustration grew due to a lack of movement in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire agreement, as he said that he could impose new trade restrictions on Russia within a month. The war began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Story continues below this ad
“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 oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump was quoted as saying Reuters.
The comments Trump mark a significant shift toward his stance on Russia and it is the first time that the US president has threatened Putin with sanctions if he backs out of ceasefire negotiations.
“You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when…Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC News in the interview.
Russia has, however, called the numerous sanctions and restrictions on it as “illegal” and stated that the sanctions are a way for the West to take economic advantage in its rivalry with the Kremlin.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Expand
