Trumps 50-Day Ultimatum to Putin: Massive Tariffs or Else

Canada News.Net

3 days ago

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Russia, threatening a new wave of punitive tariffs unless a peace agreement with Ukraine is reached within the next 50 days. Speaking at the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump expressed deep dissatisfaction with Moscow's actions and signaled that the U.S. is prepared to escalate pressure significantly.
?We are very, very unhappy with them,? Trump said. ?We?re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don?t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100%.? These so-called 'secondary tariffs? would target not just Russia but also countries continuing to trade with it. Trump specifically stated that such tariffs could rise to 100%, adding, ?That's the way it is. I hope we don?t have to do it.?
The president voiced his disappointment in Vladimir Putin, noting that he had expected a peace agreement to be reached two months earlier. While not ruling out diplomacy, Trump indicated that the time for patience is running out. ?We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin,? he remarked recently, reflecting frustration over what he sees as a lack of meaningful progress.
Alongside the threat of new tariffs, Trump confirmed an agreement with NATO to supply a significant volume of weapons to Ukraine. He said the U.S., known for its advanced military production, would manufacture equipment for NATO, which would then be forwarded to Kyiv. ?We make the best equipment, the best missiles, the best of everything,? Trump stated. ?We are going to be sending them weapons, and they?re [NATO] going to be paying for them.?
Rutte, standing beside Trump, reinforced the message. He emphasized that the agreement would result in Ukraine receiving large-scale deliveries of both air defense systems and ammunition. He named Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, and Canada as countries already involved in the coordination process. NATO, he said, would tailor the support based on Ukraine's most urgent needs.
Following the White House announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump to discuss both the NATO meeting and U.S. support for Ukraine. Zelensky described the call as ?very good? and thanked Trump for his willingness to help stop the violence and secure a ?lasting and just peace.?
Zelensky confirmed that the two leaders also agreed to coordinate more closely and hold regular calls. They discussed immediate needs to enhance Ukraine's defense and to protect civilians from Russian attacks.
While Trump moves forward with unilateral threats, congressional action on new sanctions targeting Russia's trading partners has been paused. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that the Senate will wait and observe whether the president's tariff ultimatum has the intended impact.
?It sounds like right now the president is going to attempt to do some of this on his own,? Thune said. He added that if Trump decides additional leverage is necessary, the Senate will be ready to pass the legislation.
The delayed sanctions bill, introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, includes provisions for secondary tariffs of at least 500% on imports from countries such as China, Brazil, and India that continue to engage economically with Russia. It also gives the president authority to raise existing tariffs on remaining Russian goods, though the economic effect may be minimal, given how much U.S.-Russia trade has already declined.
Trump's threat of 100% secondary tariffs marks a continuation of his aggressive trade approach. He has a history of using tariffs as leverage, including those on Chinese imports and previous threats against India, Brazil, and even countries trading with Venezuela.
Bilateral trade between the U.S. and Russia has plunged, from around billion in 2021 to just .5 billion last year. The Biden administration's post-invasion sanctions, including a ban on Russian oil and higher tariffs under a suspended ?normal trade relations? status, have already decimated Russian exports to the U.S.
In 2024, the U.S. imported just .5 billion in goods from Russia, down from .3 billion in 2021. The biggest contributor to this drop has been the oil import ban, as energy products previously accounted for more than half of U.S. purchases from Russia.
Senators Graham and Blumenthal praised Trump's initiative, highlighting both the tariff strategy and the weapons supply plan. Still, they were clear about their aim: to force Putin to negotiate peace. ?The goal is not more tariffs and sanctions,? they said. ?The goal is to entice Putin to come to the peace table.?