Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump File photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he is “disgusted” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, he will impose additional financial penalties on Russian oil sales.
Trump took office as US president for a second term in January. Since then, he has been trying to stop the war in Ukraine that has been going on for more than three years. He has also discussed this with Moscow. However, Trump made a big change in his tone on Russia through his statement on Sunday.
What did Trump say about Putin
Donald Trump gave an interview to US media outlet NBC on Sunday. He said that he was “very angry and annoyed” with the Russian president over Putin’s recent comments on the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the interview, the US president made his case for Zelensky. He said that any move to remove Zelensky as Ukraine’s leader would definitely delay the possibility of a ceasefire.
But Trump also said that Putin knows that the US president is angry with him. In addition, he has a “very good relationship” with the Russian president. If he does the right thing, the anger will subside quickly.
US President Donald Trump File photo: Reuters
Since the fall of pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine in 2014, Putin has often claimed that all post-2014 governments in Ukraine are illegitimate.
What Putin said about Zelensky
Putin has cited the lack of legitimacy of the Zelensky government to sign the peace agreement being negotiated between Russia and Ukraine over the Ukraine war. Since the fall of pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine in 2014, Putin has often claimed that all post-2014 governments in Ukraine are illegitimate.
Last Thursday, Putin said that the Zelensky government should be removed from Ukraine and an interim administration under the supervision of the United Nations should be established. However, this proposal was rejected by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Volodymyr Zelensky took office as president of Ukraine for a five-year term in 2019. Then in 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in the country. Although presidential elections were scheduled to be held in Ukraine in 2024, martial law was declared due to the war. As a result, it is not possible to organize elections in this situation according to the country’s constitution.
Trump has now criticized Putin’s comments about the interim administration of Ukraine and the legitimacy of Zelensky, but he himself recently did the same. Last February, he told Zelensky that the Ukrainian president was “a dictator in power without an election.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky File photo: AFP
What is the status of diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war
During the presidential election campaign in the United States, Trump said that he would quickly end the Ukraine war. After taking office, his administration held talks with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia for a peace agreement. Trump himself spoke separately with Putin and Zelensky.
On March 25, the three sides agreed to stop the use of military force in the Black Sea. In addition, Moscow and Kiev agreed to stop attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days. However, both countries have alleged that these attacks have not stopped.
In addition, Ukraine and the United States have agreed to a 30-day ceasefire on land and at sea. However, Putin has not yet agreed to this. According to him, Ukraine will use this time to reorganize itself militarily.
Will Trump’s threat work?
Trump has threatened to impose a “second round of tariffs” on Russian oil if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire. He told NBC, “If we and Russia cannot reach an agreement to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if we believe that it is Russia’s fault, then we will impose a second round of tariffs on all oil coming from Russia.”
Trump also said, “If you buy oil from Russia, you will not be able to do business with the United States. All oil will be subject to a 25 percent tariff, all oil will be subject to a 25 to 50 percent tariff.”
It is unclear how much impact Trump’s threat will have on Russia, said Kieran Gilles, a senior adviser at London-based think tank Chatham House. “We have seen several threats from Trump to put economic pressure on Russia. “But they never lasted long.” He added, “We don’t know whether these threats are Trump’s empty rhetoric or not.”
The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than three years. File photo: Reuters
What is the second-stage tariff
What Trump seems to mean by imposing the second-stage tariff is imposing tariffs on fuel oil imported from Russia by various countries.
The United States has been imposing the second-stage sanctions for a long time. Usually, this second-stage ban is imposed on a country that trades with a country that is subject to US sanctions. For example, the United States imposes the second-stage sanctions on a country, institution or individual involved in the purchase of Iranian fuel oil or Russian heavy military equipment.
Due to the threat of this second-stage US sanctions, most banks and financial institutions in the world do not engage in trade with Iran or Russia. These institutions do not want their business and trade with the United States to be threatened.
Trump said, “If you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business with the United States.”
Which countries will be hit by Trump’s second round of tariffs
If Trump imposes a second round of tariffs on Russian oil, China and India in particular will be hit hard. In 2024, 35 percent of India’s total crude oil imports came from Russia. In China, this amount was a maximum of 19 percent.
Turkey also imports oil from Russia. In 2023, about 58 percent of Turkey’s total refined petroleum products imports came from Russia.
If Trump does end up imposing a second round of tariffs, it is not clear how much new tariffs will be added to the currently effective tariffs. China exported the largest single product to the United States in 2024. However, since Trump came to power, he has imposed a 20 percent tariff on all products imported from China to the United States.
If Trump imposes a second round of tariffs on Russian oil, China and India in particular will be hit hard.
The United States is also India’s largest export market. In 2024, India exported $91 billion worth of goods to the country. However, Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the high tariffs that India has imposed on imports from the United States. And the United States is Turkey’s second largest export market.
Russia, a major oil exporter File Photo: Reuters
If Trump takes a swipe at countries for buying Russian oil, India could become a major target for Washington. India has 22 oil refineries. The largest of these is in Jamnagar, Gujarat. India is accused of buying oil sold at subsidized prices by Russia, refining it and selling it to the West. As a result of India’s activities, Moscow is getting huge financial benefits even under Western sanctions.
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According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an organization that provides information on global trade, India exported refined fuels such as gasoline and diesel worth $55.8 billion in 2023 to countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.
