During an interview with NBC on Sunday, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose “additional tariffs on oil, on every barrel of oil originating from Russia.”
Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the latter criticised the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, putting his credibility into question. Trump said that Putin’s comments were “not going in the right location.”
Putin had suggested
on Friday
that Ukraine should come under temporary United Nations administration until an “appropriate” government could be elected. This proposal was rejected by Washington, as Putin once more targeted the leadership in Kyiv and Zelenskyy, whom the Kremlin persists in labeling as “unlawful.”
Offering further clarification on his thinking, Trump stated, “With new leadership, there won’t be a deal for a very long time, correct?”
During the interview, Trump stated, “Should Russia and I fail to reach an agreement to halt the violence in Ukraine, and if I determine that Russia bears responsibility—which may not be the case—but if I conclude that Russia is at fault, then I will impose additional tariffs on oil exports from Russia.”
This marked a notable shift in approach toward Russia for Trump, who mentioned he planned to converse with Putin over the upcoming week.
This month, Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement.
in principle
into a restricted 30-day truce in the Black Sea; however, both parties have kept attacking one another using drones and missiles.
Trump warns of bombing Iran
In a distinct interview on Saturday, Trump warned that he would consider bombing Iran and imposing secondary tariffs if the country declined to enter into an agreement with the U.S., ensuring they do not pursue development of the weapon.
Trump stated, “If they don’t make a deal,” he continued, “there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
Trump says that U.S. and Iranian officials are communicating with each other.
But
on Sunday
Iran’s president stated that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States concerning its swiftly progressing nuclear program. This was Tehran’s initial reaction to a letter President Trump had sent to the nation’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.