Donald Trump turned up the heat on Monday, issuing a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin: end the war in Ukraine within 50 days or face sweeping economic retaliation.
Speaking from the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said his administration will impose “secondary tariffs” at around 100 percent on any country still doing trade with Russia if a peace agreement isn’t secured by September.
“We’re very, very unhappy with them,” Trump said. “If you don’t have a deal in 50 days—tariffs at about 100%.”
On top of the tariff threat, Trump announced that the U.S. would be sending billions of dollars in American-made military equipment to NATO allies—purchased by European countries—who will then forward the weapons to Ukraine.
The secondary tariffs would hit hard across the globe, targeting nations like China, India, Brazil, and Turkiye that still import Russian fossil fuels or maintain robust trade ties with Moscow. These tariffs could severely disrupt energy markets and force those countries to reconsider their alignments.
This isn’t Trump’s first time flexing tariff power to push foreign policy. In recent months, he’s made similar threats against countries buying oil from Venezuela and Iran. The Venezuela tariffs have already put pressure on China, the country’s largest oil customer.
While Trump hasn’t specified which Russian goods would be affected this time around, previous statements have focused heavily on oil and gas exports.
With September as the new deadline, Trump has laid down a serious marker. The message is clear: if Putin doesn’t make peace, America’s economic arsenal is locked, loaded, and ready to hit Russia’s trade partners where it hurts. #TACO
