Trump To Putin: Accept Peace Or Face 100% Tariffs – Here’s What It Means For Ukraine | World News
Washington: President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States will begin delivering new weapons packages to Ukraine, while issuing a direct warning to Russia. If the Kremlin fails to agree to a peace deal within 50 days, the U.S. will impose heavy tariffs. Trump made the announcement during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on July 14.
The president said billions of dollars worth of military hardware, including Patriot air defence systems and other missile platforms, will be provided by the United States but funded by NATO member states.
He said these weapons will be officially handed over to NATO, which will oversee their distribution across Europe, including to Ukraine.
“We are going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they will be sent to NATO,” Trump said.
He confirmed that if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not commit to a peace agreement within the next 50 days, the United States will impose what he called “very severe tariffs”, including 100 percent secondary tariffs on key Russian exports.
The comments follow months of failed diplomacy between Washington and Moscow. Despite brief pauses in hostilities, the Russian government has rejected Trump’s call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Moscow claims that such a truce would allow Ukrainian forces to reorganise and rearm.
Trump, who began his second term with a pledge to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, has increasingly shown signs of dissatisfaction. Last week, he accused Putin of deceiving the United States, using what he described as “a lot of b******”.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Trump’s announcement, calling it a decisive shift in Ukraine’s favour. He said the scale of weapons being prepared for delivery, particularly for air defence, would be “massive”.
“If I was Vladimir Putin today, and hear you speaking about what you were planning to do in 50 days, and this announcement,” Rutte said, adding, “I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously than I was doing at the moment.”
Trump said some of the Patriot batteries being assembled for NATO will be redirected from American stockpiles located around the world. He did not specify whether long-range offensive systems would be included.
The president also shared personal reflections on his communications with the Russian leader. “My conversations with him are always very pleasant. I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation’. She said, ‘Oh, really, another city was just hit’,” Trump said.
Trump emphasised that previous American presidents were “fooled” by Putin. “It has got to be action. He knows the deal. He knows what a fair deal is,” he said.
In Kyiv, officials received the announcement with cautious optimism. Patriot systems, if delivered, are expected to significantly bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend against ballistic and cruise missile attacks.
Patriot batteries really do make a difference. They will go a long way to protecting the skies over this country, as it tries to endure almost nightly massive barrages of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
The Kremlin said Western military aid to Ukraine was not new and that Moscow remained open to dialogue. But within Russia, the reaction has shifted.
