US President Donald Trump on Monday declared that he would impose tariffs on Russia if a peace deal to end the ongoing war in Ukraine is not reached within the next 50 days. The announcement was made during a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump showed his intent to apply economic pressure on Moscow to accelerate a resolution to the conflict.
"We are going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days," Trump said. He did not provide specifics on how the tariffs would be implemented. "I use trade for a lot of things," he added. But it's great for settling wars," he added.
Envoy Meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv
Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday, as anticipation grew over a possible shift in the Trump administration's policy on the three-year war. Rutte also planned to hold talks with US Defence Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as members of Congress. Trump made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and he has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian President Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance on US-led peace efforts.
Trump's frustration with Putin grows
Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and after taking office in January repeatedly said that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. At the same time, Trump accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war and called him a “dictator without elections.” But Russia's relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump's patience.
In April, Trump urged Putin to “STOP!” launching deadly barrages on Kyiv, and the following month said in a social media post that the Russian leader “ has gone absolutely CRAZY!” as the bombardments continued. “I am very disappointed with President Putin, I thought he was somebody that meant what he said," Trump said late Sunday. "He'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that.”
Zelenskyy discusses arms with Kellogg
Zelenskyy said he and Trump's envoy, retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, had “a productive conversation” about strengthening Ukrainian air defences, joint arms production and purchasing US weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin. "We hope for the leadership of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ambitions are stopped by force,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
Talks on sending Patriot missiles Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said.
US, EU aid Ukraine with weapons
Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month last year, it said. At the same time, Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line. Trump confirmed the US is sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defence missiles and that the European Union will pay the US for the “various pieces of very sophisticated” weaponry.
(With inputs from AP)
