President Donald Trump expressed fury over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Friday remarks questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership credibility, calling them misguided and saying he was “very angry” and “pissed off.”
Putin, per Agence France-Presse, proposed a transitional Ukrainian government, potentially sidelining Zelenskyy. In a Sunday morning NBC News phone call, Trump threatened secondary tariffs on Russian oil if he blamed Russia for stalling Ukraine peace talks, stating, “If Russia and I can’t stop the bloodshed, and I think it’s Russia’s fault—though it might not be—I’ll hit all Russian oil with a 25% to 50-point tariff.” He added, “Buy oil from Russia, and you can’t do business in the U.S.”
Donald Trump telling Meet the Press’ Kristen Welker that he’s “pissed off” at Putin and threatening secondary tariffs on Russian oil is comical.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 30, 2025
Also, him saying “if I think it is Russia’s fault, which it might not be” is a joke.
Bro is getting played like a fiddle. pic.twitter.com/ROLINQeRfW
This follows Trump’s own past attacks on Zelenskyy, whom he falsely labeled a dictator and criticized for war mismanagement. The U.S., under former President Joe Biden, banned Russian oil imports post-2022 invasion, slashing imports to 10,000 barrels in 2023, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Trump also announced similar "secondary tariffs" on Venezuelan oil buyers via Truth Social, potentially targeting top Russian oil importers like China, Turkey, Brazil, and India, based on Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air data.
Ending the Ukraine war was a key Trump campaign pledge. Recent U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian talks yielded a limited Black Sea ceasefire last week, halting energy attacks and easing navigation. Trump’s tariff threats signal a hardline shift if progress falters.
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