President Donald Trump is losing patience with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The small yet gradual steps toward peace in Ukraine after prior talks may turn out to be nothing more than Russian stalling tactics.
On Friday, the Russian president called for Ukraine’s current government to be replaced by “interim governance” led by the United Nations. Putin implied the proposal was a way for Russia to negotiate with legitimate leadership. He said the reason for the proposal was:
In order to hold a democratic election there, in order to bring in a competent government trusted by people. And then hold talks with it about a peace treaty and sign legitimate documents which would be recognized worldwide and be reliable and stable.
Trump, who promised during his reelection campaign to broker peace in the war-torn region of Eastern Europe, is not happy with Putin’s latest comments. On Sunday, he told NBC he is “pissed off” at the Russian leader. He also threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil if a deal isn’t reached.
“Dictator” Zelensky
The American president said he was very angry when Putin started calling into question Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s credibility. But Trump himself has referred to Ukraine’s leader as a dictator, presumably because he has been serving as president past the end of his five-year term, which started in 2019.
Ukraine has been under martial law since May 2024’s presidential election was postponed because of the war. Some critics, including those who’ve worked close to Zelensky, say Ukraine’s leader is obsessed with staying in power and has worked hard to ensure that he does so. Trump has said Zelensky had a very low approval rating, buttressing Putin’s recent comment that he wants to deal with a Ukrainian leader “trusted by the people.”
More Tariffs Coming?
Nevertheless, Trump is signaling that he’s ready to stop playing nice with Putin. On Sunday, he threatened to impose even more tariffs on Russia. He said in an early-morning phone call with NBC News on 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, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has corroborated Trump’s frustration with Putin. Stubb, who played with Trump in a golf tournament on Saturday, told the U.S. president that Putin can’t be trusted. He told reporters:
He [Trump] is quite impatient with Russia’s actions and this kind of conspiracy and procrastination over the ceasefire. I tried to explain that this is completely normal Russian activity. First, something is negotiated — and then conditions are set again.
Trump’s frustration comes after two major rounds of talks with Moscow in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After the talks, Russia and Ukraine said they agreed to a cessation of airstrikes against each other’s energy infrastructure. Strikes have continued, albeit at a lower intensity.
While Trump didn’t elaborate on how secondary tariffs on Russian oil would work, his comments come after he said earlier this month that the United States would level secondary tariffs on countries that buy oil or gas from Venezuela. Those tariffs — to the tune of 25 percent — would be added to existing duties, including the 20 percent tariff he levied on China this year. That would mean 45 percent tariffs on China, the America’s third-largest trading partner.
A move like this on Russia would potentially have a larger impact on global markets. Russia is one of the top oil producers. Russia’s energy sector serves as the backbone of the country’s economy. Oil and gas revenue has yielded more than a third of Russia’s federal budget in recent years.
Trump the Negotiator
Trump told NBC News he planned to speak with Putin later this week. He also said he didn’t believe the Russian leader would “go back on his word,” mellowing his previously harsher tone. Putin, for his part, said he “remains open” to talking with Trump, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Zelensky is trying to back out of the minerals deal Trump has been trying to ink with Ukraine as payback for the billions the United States has given toward the war effort, according to the U.S. president. Zelensky wants to renegotiate the deal and wants to be a NATO member. Trump said, “If he does that, he’s got some big problems,” adding, “he was never going to be a member of NATO.”
