President Donald Trump on Monday issued a bold ultimatum: unless a peace deal is reached in Ukraine within 50 days, the U.S. will impose 100% tariffs on any country continuing to do business with Russia. The warning signals a major escalation in economic pressure through secondary sanctions, as Trump expressed growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs… and they’ll be at 100%,” Trump said from the Oval Office, seated alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “We are very unhappy — I am — with Russia.”
Trump also revealed a new arms deal under which the U.S. will manufacture weapons to be purchased by European allies and sent to Ukraine. “We’re sending them weapons — and they’re paying for them,” he said.
Rutte called the agreement a “big step” and praised Trump’s approach of shifting the financial burden to Europe while ensuring Ukraine remains armed.
Trump criticized Putin for continuing missile strikes despite multiple phone calls. “You realize the talk doesn’t mean anything,” he said, adding, “He fooled other presidents — but he didn’t fool me.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he spoke with Trump and welcomed U.S. support, stating they discussed defense strategies and steps toward peace.
Meanwhile, bipartisan support is building in Congress for stronger measures. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are backing a bill that would authorize tariffs up to 500% on countries doing business with Russia — especially in oil and gas.
In a joint statement, they called Trump’s move “a real executive hammer to drive the parties to the negotiating table.”
Representative French Hill (R-AR) urged the administration to convert seized Russian assets into a Ukraine trust fund — a step not taken during the Biden administration due to European concerns over financial instability.
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, Trump’s strategy appears focused on leveraging economic force to bring about a diplomatic breakthrough — or raise the costs of aligning with Moscow.
