President Donald Trump has threatened Russia with tariffs on oil as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to frustrate efforts to finalize a deal with Ukraine and bring the ongoing war to a close.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Kremlin by email on Sunday morning for further comment.
Why It Matters
Trump has made it a priority to end the war in Ukraine, which would prove a major foreign policy achievement for his second administration. He campaigned on a promise to end the war, which started in February 2022, before even taking office, and called Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to see what he would need to bring them to the negotiating table.
Trump soon admitted that the deal would prove more complicated, and earlier this month admitted he was “being a little bit sarcastic” with his earlier comments when he said he could end the war in just 24 hours.
Negotiations took a sharp turn when Trump and Zelensky argued in front of reporters in the Oval Office in late February, which led to Zelensky departing the White House without signing a much-touted deal to grant the U.S. access to Kyiv’s rare earth minerals, and Trump temporarily suspended military aid and battlefield intelligence sharing with Ukraine. However, the U.S. resumed sharing aid and intelligence with Ukraine earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire covering the Black Sea, a key battleground, on Tuesday after fresh talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia.
What To Know
NBC News’ Meet the Press host Kristen Welker revealed on Sunday that Trump had called her and spoken about a number of issues, including the lack of progress between Russia and Ukraine towards reaching a peace deal.
“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 said.
“That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” the president added. “There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Trump told Welker that he’s “very angry” and “pissed off” over Putin’s recent attack on Zelensky when he suggested that Ukraine should implement a transitional government as any part of a ceasefire deal, effectively pushing the Ukrainian president out of power.
Kyiv has pushed back, asserting Ukraine’s constitutional provision that states no election can be held while the country is at war.
Trump said that such comments were “not going in the right location” for peace talks and threatened tariffs on “other products sold in the United States” and “secondary tariffs” on Russian goods within a month if a ceasefire deal did not materialize.
Trump again stressed his “very good relationship” with Putin and quickly added that “anger dissipates quickly…if he does the right thing.”
🚨 NBC: “Just hours ago, President Trump called me to tell me he is ‘pissed off’ with Russia’s President Putin and threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russia’s oil.” pic.twitter.com/ikpmFH5t1Q
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 30, 2025
What People Are Saying
Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign affairs correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: “The U.S. buys virtually nothing from Russia, so primary tariffs are meaningless. But *secondary* U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, if imposed, could make it much harder for Russia to export oil to major customers like India and even China.”
Representative Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, wrote on X: “Agree with President Trump that secondary sanctions on Russian oil are the appropriate response to war criminal Putin’s intransigence.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Tuesday: “After the framework deal, a full agreement is being developed. Now the U.S. has offered us a ‘major’ deal, their vision [of the deal].”
Inna Sovsun, a member of Ukraine’s Parliament, wrote on X: “Putin suggests placing Ukraine under a UN-led interim government to hold ‘elections.’ This is nothing but a pathetic attempt by Russia to discredit Ukraine and portray it as a failed state. The only country that has desperately needed real elections for decades is Russia. Maybe then, the world could finally negotiate with a legitimate government instead of a dictator clinging to power.”
What Happens Next?
During his phone call with Welker, Trump revealed that he and Putin will speak again this week about Ukraine.
Update, 3/30/25 at 11:49 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information, context and comments.
Update, 3/30/25 at 12:25 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a new photo.
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Win McNamee/Getty Images // Contributor/Getty Images
