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Lizzy Chirkpi
In a shocking development, the United States President, Donald Trump has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on Russian oil, bomb Iran, and pursue the acquisition of Greenland, while also revealing his frustration with Vladimir Putin’s handling of the Ukraine ceasefire.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump declared he was “pissed off” with Putin’s attempts to undermine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, and warned he would levy a “25 to 50-point tariff” on all Russian oil exports if a ceasefire in Ukraine was not achieved within a month.
He also threatened to cut off US business access to any country purchasing Russian oil.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault, which it might not be, but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump declared.
This dramatic shift in tone followed Putin’s suggestion on Russian television that Ukraine be placed under a temporary UN-led government to organise fresh elections before peace negotiations.
Trump, who had previously labeled Zelenskyy a “dictator,” has now denounced Putin’s remarks as “not going in the right location.”
At the same time, Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran regarding its nuclear program:
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he warned.
He also mentioned the possibility of “secondary tariffs” on Iran.
The concept of secondary tariffs, targeting countries that trade with sanctioned nations, is a novel approach.
Trump recently implemented a 25% tariff on countries buying Venezuelan oil, primarily China, citing concerns about illegal immigration.
Trump’s intervention came after meetings with Finnish President, Alexander Stubb, who advocated for a ceasefire deadline and consequences for its violation.
Stubb suggested an Easter deadline, with “maximum sanctions” as the penalty for non-compliance.
Adding to the international intrigue, Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring Greenland, stating, “We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100%,” and leaving open the possibility of using military force.
These pronouncements mark a significant departure from the US President’s previous claims of being able to resolve the Ukraine conflict swiftly, and highlight his increasingly assertive, and at times unorthodox, approach to foreign policy.
The timing of this shift follows a week of criticism of the White House, due to a highly sensitive leaked Pentagon discussion.