Trump says Russia tariffs will be imposed in 10 days
Editor's note: The article was updated with comments by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal for Suspilne.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 29 that tariffs on Russia would take effect in 10 days if the Kremlin did not agree to stop the war, according to an audio published by the White House.
The tariffs mentioned by Trump are expected to be secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and other products, such as China and India.
"Ten days from today. And then we're gonna put on tariffs and stuff," Trump said in response to a reporter's question before boarding Air Force One.
"I don't know if it’s gonna affect Russia, because he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants to obviously probably keep the war going, but we're gonna put tariffs and various things."
The remarks follow Trump's earlier ultimatum to Putin on July 14, when he warned that the United States would impose "severe" tariffs of up to 100% if Russia failed to agree to a peace deal in Ukraine within 50 days.
Trump said on July 28 that he was no longer willing to wait that long.
"There's no reason in waiting," he said. "It's 50 days, I wanted to be generous, but we just don't see any progress being made.”
Trump voiced frustration with the Kremlin.
“We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever," he said.
When asked whether he still intended to meet with Putin, Trump replied, "I'm not so interested in talking anymore. He talks with such nice conversations, such respectful and nice conversations, and then people died the following night."
During a press briefing on July 29 – following Trump's announcement – U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce was asked about his reasoning for moving up the deadline. She replied, "He has been patient... and that may have been misinterpreted by some people... The time for misinterpretation is now over."
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal urged Trump to move even faster with the sanctions, saying that Putin does not deserve additional time.
In comments to Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne, Blumenthal again called for the adoption of a bill he co-authored with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham that would impose 500% secondary tariffs on Russian oil.
Responding to the changed deadline, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, accused Trump of pushing the two countries closer to direct confrontation. "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country," he wrote on X on July 28.
Despite Trump's warnings, Russia has continued its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, and offensives remain active on multiple fronts.
