Topline
President Donald Trump told NBC News Sunday he will impose tariffs on imports of Russian oil if the Kremlin does not reach a ceasefire deal in its war against Ukraine, claiming he’s “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking a much harsher tone from the president against Russia as negotiations over ending the Ukraine war have dragged on.
Key Facts
Trump intends to impose tariffs of at least 25% on “all oil coming out of Russia” if the country won’t reach a deal to halt the Ukraine war, the president told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker early Sunday.
“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,” he will impose the tariffs, Trump told NBC, saying the tariffs would be imposed within a month of a ceasefire not being reached and could also include other products besides oil.
The president also claimed he was “very angry, pissed off” at Putin’s comments Friday, when the Russian leader
suggested Russia should work with the U.S. and other Western allies to impose a “transitional administration in Ukraine” and replace Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Putin’s comments are “not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC, decrying the Russian leader for suggesting a regime change while “we're in the midst of a negotiation,” with Trump also noting if there was a new government in Ukraine, that would mean “you're not gonna have a deal for a long time.”
Trump officials have conveyed to Moscow that Trump was “angry” with Putin’s comments, he told NBC, though he said he has “a very good relationship with” the Russian leader.
Trump’s comments suggesting he’s “angry” with Putin are somewhat of an about-face, as the president has more frequently been criticized for cozying up to the Russian leader, whom he has previously
praised as a “genius.”
Trump also told “Meet the Press” Sunday he could levy tariffs on Iran or take harsher action if that country does not accept a deal over its nuclear program, telling Welker, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing.”
Tangent
In a separate interview with NBC Saturday night Trump told the outlet he “
couldn’t care less” if car prices increased due to his tariffs on foreign automobiles. Trump was asked whether he told auto industry CEOs not to raise prices in reaction to his tariffs, which he denied, saying, “I never said that. I couldn’t care less if they raise prices, because people are going to start buying American-made cars.”
Crucial Quote
Trump would structure his threatened tariffs on Russia “so that anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States,” the president told “Meet the Press” Sunday.
Where Do Negotiations Between Russia And Ukraine Stand Now?
Some progress has been made with Russia and Ukraine, as the two sides agreed—at least in principle—to a narrow ceasefire on energy infrastructure earlier in March. It’s still unclear when that could take effect and what it will look like in practice, however, and attacks have
still continued even after the two sides agreed to the ceasefire. Both countries also announced a
maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea on Tuesday, though the narrow agreements have fallen short of the broader 30-day total ceasefire the White House has been hoping to reach. Trump suggested to NBC on Sunday his threatened sanctions on Russia are based on whether Moscow agrees to a total halt in fighting—rather than the more limited agreements they’ve been able to reach so far—which he said would be part of a “phase two” in the U.S.’ negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. There are still a number of sticking points in negotiations, such as whether Russia will retain territory in Ukraine that it conquered during the war and what degree of assistance the U.S. and Europe would still commit to Ukraine during peacetime.
Chief Critic
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., responded to Trump’s comments on “Meet the Press” Sunday, noting Putin’s rhetoric about overhauling the Ukrainian government is similar to comments Trump and his administration
have themselves made suggesting Zelenskyy should step aside. Bennet said that while “of course” he would support tariffs on Russia, the president’s comments are “crazy,” because “Donald Trump, until this morning, has been saying that Zelenskyy is not the real president of Ukraine, that we should have an election in Ukraine to establish that. He said that Ukraine started this war.” Trump has “done nothing but undermine Ukraine's negotiating position,” Bennet said, calling the president’s handling of the conflict a “painful experience.”
Key Background
A recent CBS News/YouGov poll
found 46% of respondents believe Trump has favored Russia in the war against Ukraine, and Democrats accused the Trump administration of pushing pro-Russia rhetoric during Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s
Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy that descended into a shouting match. Trump’s frustration with Putin comes as negotiations over the end of the Ukraine war have stretched far past the president’s previous promise of being able to end the conflict in “24 hours.” Trump’s phone call with Putin in which he agreed to the limited energy ceasefire
reportedly fell short of the administration’s goals to move closer to a full stop to the fighting.
