Topline
President Donald Trump told the BBC that he was “not done” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaving the door open for direct talks between the two leaders in the future, hours after he threatened to slap Russia with 100% “secondary” tariffs unless it secured a peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days.
President Donald Trump said he is not “done” with Vladimir Putin but was very “disappointed” with … More
Key Facts
In an interview with the BBC published early on Tuesday, the president expressed frustration about Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine and said there were four different times he believed his administration was close to securing a deal with Moscow to stop the war.
Trump noted, “We’ll have a great conversation. I’ll say: ‘That’s good, I’ll think we’re close to getting it done,’ and then he’ll knock down a building in Kyiv,” referring to Putin.
When asked if this meant he was done dealing with Putin, Trump said: “I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him.”
When asked if he trusted the Russian leader, Trump replied: “I trust almost nobody.”
On the question of how he plans to get Putin to “stop the bloodshed,” Trump said: “We’re working at it,” without offering details.
What Do We Know About Trump’s Tariff Threat?
On Monday morning, Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House and then announced that he would impose 100% “secondary” tariffs on Russia if it did not agree to end its war with Ukraine within 50 days. “We’re very, very unhappy with them, and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs,” the president said. Trump didn’t specify how these tariffs will be implemented, but “secondary” tariffs mean they will likely be aimed at Russia’s top trading partners like China and India.
How Has Russia Reacted To Trump’s Tariff Threat?
Former Russian President and the Deputy Chair of the country’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, dismissed Trump’s tariff warning, calling it a “theatrical ultimatum.” In a post on X, Medvedev mocked Trump’s announcement, saying: “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.” Medvedev’s comments are the first public reaction on the matter from a Russian administration official.