President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 100% secondary tariff on Russia if Moscow does not reach an agreement to end its conflict with Ukraine.
During his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said he is “very unhappy” with Russia, explaining that the United States will be “doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days.”
He noted that tariffs will be “at about 100 percent. You call them ‘secondary tariffs.'”
“I’m disappointed in President Putin, because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there,” Trump added. “So based on that, we’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days. It’s very simple, and they’ll be at 100 percent, and that’s the way it is. That couldn’t be more simple. It’s just the way it is, I hope we don’t have to do it.”
Trump also stated during the meeting that the United States will be sending Ukraine weapons, although NATO will be paying for the materials.
“We made a deal where we are going to be sending them weapons and they are going to be paying for them. The United States will not be having any payment made,” Trump said. “We are not buying it, but we will manufacture it and they will be paying for it.
Trump’s statement reiterates comments made to NBC News, where he said, “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we’re doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine], and NATO is paying for those weapons.”
