US President Donald Trump lashed out on Sunday, saying he was “very angry” and “pissed off” at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump’s reaction, coupled with threats of massive tariffs on Russian oil and potential bombings in Iran, has sent shockwaves through global diplomacy, reported NBC News.
Trump’s fury over Putin’s remarks
Putin on Friday called for a transitional government in Ukraine, which would effectively sideline Zelenskyy. The remarks didn’t sit well with Trump. “That’s not going in the right location,” he fumed in a phone interview with NBC News. While Trump has previously expressed frustration with Zelenskyy, even calling him a “dictator,” he now appears to be drawing a line against Russia’s interference.
“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,” Trump warned.
Tariff threat: a blow to Russia’s economy?
Trump detailed an aggressive economic move: a 25% tariff on all Russian oil, which could increase to 50%. “That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” he said.
His warning follows a recent partial ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which allows safe navigation in the Black Sea and a halt to attacks on energy facilities. However, Trump suggested that if Putin doesn’t take the right steps, penalties will follow swiftly.
“Putin knows I’m angry, but the anger dissipates quickly … if he does the right thing,” Trump added, hinting at a high-stakes conversation between the two leaders this week.
Iran in the crosshairs: ‘There will be bombing’
Trump didn’t stop at Russia. In a separate interview on Saturday, he issued a dire warning to Iran over its nuclear ambitions. “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he declared.
US and Iranian officials have been engaging in indirect negotiations, but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian swiftly rejected direct talks with Washington in response to a letter from Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader.