Donald Trump said he is angry with Putin. The reason - the Russian president has not yet accepted the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine. How could this affect the US position?
This is a turning point, commented long-time political correspondent for the American television channel NBC Andrea Mitchell. We are talking about the latest comments by US President Donald Trump regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Mitchell, who has covered Trump for ten years, he has never turned against Putin. Now, however, the US president says he will put pressure on Russia.
In an interview with NBC, Trump said he was "angry and furious with Putin". The Russian president has once again questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and even suggested that Ukraine be placed under a UN protectorate, ARD recalls. Trump, who repeatedly promised during his election campaign that he would stop the war in Ukraine, is clearly irritated that Putin is refusing to accept the ceasefire proposal.
Trump is finally learning the hard way what he has been refusing to admit, says Democratic Senator Michael Bennett. "Trump is angry with Putin because he is doing exactly what everyone expects him to do - refusing to sign an agreement until he is forced", Bennett said, quoted by ARD.
Threats of punitive tariffs
Trump was adamant that his patience with Putin was running out. "If I can't make a deal with Russia that stops the bloodshed, and if I believe Russia is to blame for it, I will impose more tariffs on Russian oil”.
The punitive tariffs could be between 25 and 50 percent and take effect within a month if there is no ceasefire by then. Trump also threatened that any country that continues to import Russian oil will not be able to do business with the United States. This will affect China, India and Turkey the most.
Will Putin be able to dispel this pressure from Trump
Trump may have been influenced by his conversation with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who was visiting Mar-a-Lago this Saturday. Stubb is said to have impressed Trump and suggested that he set a deadline for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Without pressure, Putin will continue to drag out, says former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark. "Putin knows how to win this war - by manipulating and delaying negotiations, by provoking Ukraine and the United States to affect the morale of the Ukrainian military and then strike," Clark told CNN.
"I don't think he's going to go back on his word"
While it was important for Trump to publicly pressure Putin for the first time, the US president didn't want to offend his Russian counterpart. Trump said he would speak to Putin on the phone next week. He said the Russian president knew he was angry with him, but they still had a "very good relationship". Trump's anger could quickly dissipate if Putin does the right thing.
Just hours later, Donald Trump said he generally trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin to do the right thing. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said of Putin: "I don't think he's going to go back on his word. It's about Putin. I don't think he's going to go back on his word. I've known him for a long time. We've always gotten along well."