'Accept peace deal or face 100% tariffs': Trump warns Russia
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has threatened Russia with severe financial penalties if it fails to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine. "We're very, very unhappy with them, and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs, if you don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%, they call them secondary tariffs," Trump said, speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.
Military aid
US to supply weapons to Ukraine
In a major policy shift, Trump also announced the supply of new weapons to Ukraine. The package includes Patriot air defense missiles that Ukraine has been urgently requesting. "We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," Trump said. He stated NATO member states would bear the cost of these weapons, saying, "We're not buying it, but we will manufacture it... They're going to be paying for it."
Sanctions stance
Trump's disappointment with Putin
Trump's announcement comes amid his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said talks nice and then bombs everybody. He said billions of dollars worth of US weapons would be sent to Ukraine and expressed hope that these measures would push Russia toward a peace agreement. If carried out, the proposed secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil could be a significant change in Western sanctions policy.
Western countries
Moscow earns billions from shipping oil to China, India
Western countries have cut most of their financial ties to Moscow throughout the more than three-year-old war but have refrained from implementing measures that would prevent Russia from selling its oil to other countries. That has let Moscow keep making hundreds of billions of dollars by transporting oil to purchasers like China and India.
Diplomatic response
Zelensky thanks Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Trump for his support. He expressed hope that the US would continue to work with Ukraine to establish peace. However, some in Kyiv remain cautious about Trump's intentions, with residents expressing mixed feelings about his announcement. "I am pleased that finally European politicians, with their patience and convictions, have slightly swayed him (Trump) to our side," said Denys Podilchuk, a 39-year-old dentist in Kyiv, according to Reuters.
Policy change
Trump's new stance on Russia
Trump's new stance on Russia is a departure from his earlier attempts at rapprochement with Moscow, when he spoke with Putin several times. His administration had previously pulled back from supporting Kyiv's NATO membership and demanding Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. However, recent attacks by Russia on Ukrainian cities that employed hundreds of drones have added to Trump's frustration with Putin.