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Trump Threatens Tariffs on Russia Over Ukraine Conflict, Pushes for Quick Resolution

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday escalated his rhetoric against Russia, threatening to impose new tariffs if the country does not negotiate a resolution to its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Trump suggested that these measures could extend to "other participating countries" in the conflict, though he did not specify which nations he was referring to.


In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump revised statements made earlier, indicating he would likely impose sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to engage in negotiations. "If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," Trump wrote.

Ambiguity Over "Participants" and Deal Definition

Trump’s post left questions unanswered, including which countries he considers "participants" in the conflict and what his proposed "deal" entails. Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy responded, stating that Moscow would need to understand what Trump means by a "deal" to end the war.

"It's not merely the question of ending the war," Polyanskiy told Reuters. "It's first and foremost the question of addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis."

Previous Sanctions and Economic Fallout

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Biden administration has imposed sweeping sanctions targeting thousands of entities across Russia's banking, defense, manufacturing, energy, and technology sectors.

These sanctions, combined with Western trade curbs, have devastated portions of Russia's economy and disrupted global markets. Despite the sanctions, the U.S. continues to import certain Russian goods, including $1.4 billion worth of fertilizers, as well as significant quantities of uranium, palladium, and rhodium, all essential for industries like agriculture and automotive manufacturing.

Trump's Approach to Ukraine-Russia Deal

During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to secure a deal between Ukraine and Russia on his first day in office, if not sooner. However, his aides have since acknowledged that resolving the nearly three-year conflict could take months or longer.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury further targeted Russia's energy revenues with its most stringent sanctions yet, focusing on oil and gas producers like Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels involved in circumventing Western trade restrictions.

Using Tariffs as Leverage

Trump has a history of leveraging tariffs for non-trade objectives, such as pressuring Mexico, Canada, and China to address illegal migration and the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. His latest tariff threats against Russia appear to follow a similar strategy, aiming to force Moscow into peace negotiations.

Uncertain Road Ahead

While Trump’s rhetoric signals a tough stance on Russia, it remains unclear how effective his proposed measures would be, given the complex geopolitical and economic factors at play. Analysts suggest that achieving a meaningful resolution to the conflict will likely require addressing deep-seated issues beyond immediate sanctions or tariffs.

For now, Trump’s statements add a new layer of uncertainty to U.S.-Russia relations, with both sides awaiting clearer details on his administration’s approach to the Ukraine conflict.

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