Trump threatens Russia over Ukraine war

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose harsh tariffs, potentially up to 100%, on Russia’s trading partners unless a deal to end the Ukraine conflict is secured within 50 days.

Trump made the statement during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on Monday. “We’re very, very unhappy — I am — with Russia, and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days,” he said.

He blamed former President Joe Biden for involving the US in the conflict, noting that Washington has already spent around $350 billion on aid for Ukraine.

Trump also referenced a congressional bill proposing stricter sanctions on Russia, commenting, “I’m not sure we need it, but it’s good they’re doing it… could be very useful.” A Senate vote on the measure is expected next week.

He added that if there is no progress on the Ukraine situation, the US could impose secondary tariffs targeting countries that do business with Russia without needing congressional approval.

In addition, Trump announced that the US will send weapons to Ukraine via NATO, which will manage both payment and distribution. “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them,” he said.

Russia has repeatedly condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the conflict without changing its outcome.

Following Trump’s remarks, the Russian stock market surged, with the main index rising nearly 3%, according to data from the Moscow Exchange.

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