Trump threatens secondary oil tariffs if Putin rejects Ukraine deal

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports unless Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on 31 March, Trump said he wanted Putin to reach a deal to prevent the deaths of Russian, Ukrainian soldiers, and others, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

"I want to make sure that he follows through, and I think he will. I don’t want to go secondary tariffs on his oil. But I think, you know, it’s something I would do if I thought he wasn’t doing the job.”

His remarks come a day after he told NBC News that he was “pissed off” and “very angry” about Putin’s demand for a transitional government to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump has previously threatened to introduce further trade measures against Russia, including a “25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.” U.S.- Russia trade is at a historic low due to sanctions imposed by Washington and its allies in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite this, Trump’s administration has been exploring diplomatic engagements with the Kremlin and has indicated it is open to potential trade discussions.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on 31 March that Trump had “expressed displeasure” with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders as efforts to secure a ceasefire continue.

During his Oval Office press conference, Trump also voiced frustration over negotiations with Ukrainian officials regarding a minerals deal.

“I haven’t spoken to (Ukrainian officials) yet, but through you, I heard that they now say, ‘Well, I’ll only do that deal if we get into NATO or something to that effect. Well, that was never, number one, discussed. Number two, I think it’s going to be very — long before Putin, they said you’re not going into NATO,” he said.

He went on to suggest that NATO’s stance towards Ukraine may have been a factor in the war’s outbreak, stating: “That’s probably the reason the war started, actually.” The remark aligns with Kremlin narratives justifying Russia’s invasion.

However, a source within Ukraine’s Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that NATO membership was not linked to the minerals deal.

“We are not tying (the minerals deal to NATO), it’s a misunderstanding,” the source said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev