Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump said he is “very angry” and “pissed off” at Russian President Vladimir Putin for stymieing peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
Putin allegedly suggested Friday that Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy be removed from office and be replaced by a “transitional administration” so Russia may “finish off” remaining Ukrainian troops, Agence France-Presse reported.
During an exclusive interview with NBC News, the president told the outlet Sunday that the ongoing ceasefire talks were “not going in the right location” amid Putin’s comments, and that Russia’s actions may result in consequences.
He explained that if he and Russia were “unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine,” and if it had been Russia’s fault, he would place secondary tariffs “on all oil coming out of Russia.”
“That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” said President Trump. “There will be a 24 percent tariff on all oil, a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
He ultimately clarified that his feelings towards Russia would “dissipate quickly” if Putin “does the right thing.”
He and Putin are also scheduled to speak to each other this week, the president told the outlet.
Since the inauguration, President Trump has pushed for the war between Russia and Ukraine to end, which, if successful, would fulfill one of his key campaign promises.
Efforts have proven rather difficult, however, as Russia and Ukraine have fought tirelessly for ceasefire conditions neither one has been enthusiastic about.
Moreover, Putin’s forces also attacked Ukrainian targets this weekend, Fox News reported, killing at least 14 people with its coordinated drone and missile strikes on Friday.
The U.S. previously secured two ceasefire agreements last week to stop attacks against each nation’s energy grid, along with the Black Sea trade route, according to the New York Post.
However, Russia broke both agreements shortly thereafter, calling for new conditions to uphold their side of the deal, like having Europe left their economic sanctions against Russian businesses.
