Today at 19:02
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he wants to see Russian leader Vladimir Putin “make a deal” to end the war in Ukraine, once again saying that he would impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil if necessary.
Trump made this statement on Monday at the White House, as cited by CNN.
The president noted that he wants Putin to make a deal “so that we stop the killing of Russian soldiers, Ukrainian soldiers, and other people.”
“I want to be sure that he (Putin) follows through, and I think he will. I don’t want to impose secondary tariffs on his oil. But I think, you know, that’s something I would do if I felt he wasn’t doing his job. I did it with Venezuela,” Trump said.
He also reiterated his frustration with Ukraine over the rare-earth minerals deal, claiming that Kyiv is refusing to abide by previously agreed-upon terms.
“I haven’t spoken to them (the Ukrainians) yet, but through you (the press), I’ve heard that they are now saying, ‘Well, I’ll go for this deal only if we join NATO or something like that.’ Well, first of all, that was never discussed. Secondly, I think they were told long ago, long before Putin, that they are not going into NATO,” Trump stated.
He added that “probably, that’s why the war started.”
Over the weekend, Trump told NBC News that if Russia refuses to agree to a ceasefire deal, he would impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil.
Trump also stated that there is a “psychological deadline” for Russia to agree to a full ceasefire in Ukraine.
Read also: State Department: Trump rejected the idea of “temporary governance under UN auspices” in Ukraine
