During an interview with NBC on Sunday, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose "additional tariffs on oil, on every barrel of oil originating from Russia."
Trump said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the latter criticised the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, putting his credibility into question. Trump said that Putin's comments were “not going in the right location.”
Putin had suggested on Friday that Ukraine should come under temporary United Nations administration until an “appropriate” government could be chosen. This proposal was rejected by Washington, as Putin once more targeted the leadership in Kyiv and Zelenskyy, with the Kremlin persistently claiming they are “illegitimate.”
Offering further clarification on his thinking, Trump stated, "With new leadership, there won’t be a deal for a very long time, correct?"
During the interview, Trump stated, "Should Russia and I fail to reach an agreement on halting the violence in Ukraine, and if I conclude that Russia bears responsibility—which may not be the case—but if I determine that Russia is at fault, then I will impose additional tariffs on oil exports from Russia."
This marked a notable shift in approach toward Russia for Trump, who mentioned he planned to converse with Putin over the upcoming days.
This month, Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement. in principle until a restricted 30-day truce in the Black Sea was declared, yet both parties have continued their assaults using drones and missiles.
Trump warns of bombing Iran
In a distinct interview on Saturday, Trump warned that he would consider bombing Iran and imposing secondary tariffs if the country declined to enter into an agreement with the U.S., ensuring they do not pursue the development of a nuclear weapon.
Trump stated, “If they don’t make a deal,” he continued, “there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
Trump says that U.S. and Iranian officials are communicating with each other.
But on Sunday Iran's President stated that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States concerning its swiftly progressing nuclear program. This was Tehran’s initial reaction to a letter from President Trump addressed to the nation's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.