Tuesday 01 / April / 2025
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed anger with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threatened secondary tariffs on Russian oil should the two not reach a deal to stop fighting in Ukraine.
The reported comments come amid the Trump administration's push to end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump says angry with Putin over comments calling for new administration in Ukraine
NBC journalist Kristen Welker said Trump had called her in an exclusive interview and expressed his frustration at the Russian leader.
"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 — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia's fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia."
The threat of 25% tariffs on Russian oil could happen at "any moment," Welker quoted Trump as saying, and added that the president planned on speaking to Putin this week.
"I was very angry, pissed off when Putin started getting into Zelenskyy credibility and started talking about new leadership in Ukraine," Trump told Welker.
During his presidential campaign, Trump had promised to bring an end to the war at the beginning of his second term in office.
Trump and Putin have had two publicly announced telephone calls, the last known communication taking place on March 19.
