Trump threatens Russia with ‘severe’ tariffs, announces Ukraine arms deal

Speaking alongside NATO chief, US president says ‘billions’ dollars worthy of weapons volition beryllium sent to NATO, which volition coordinate distribution.

United States President Donald Trump has confirmed the US volition nonstop Ukraine much weapons and has threatened to levy steep tariffs connected Russia amid his increasing vexation implicit Russia’s refusal to negociate an extremity to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Speaking astatine the White House connected Monday during a gathering with NATO main Mark Rutte, Trump said the US would beryllium sending “billions” of dollars successful subject equipment, including Patriot aerial defence systems and different missiles. These weapons, said Trump, volition beryllium paid for by NATO members.

“In a nutshell, we’re going to marque top-of-the-line weapons, and they’ll beryllium sent to NATO,” said Trump.

He added that if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to motion a bid woody with Ukraine, helium volition enforce “very terrible tariffs” successful 50 days, including secondary tariffs of 100 percent.

Trump took bureau with a committedness to extremity the Russia-Ukraine warfare wrong 24 hours, and Putin’s refusal to ink a bid statement has progressively frustrated the US president.

While Russia has agreed to little pauses successful fighting, it has refused to judge an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, saying that the connection would springiness Kyiv a accidental to remobilise its troops and rearm.

That has strained the adjacent narration betwixt Putin and Trump, who past week accused the Russian person of throwing a batch of “b******” astatine the US.

Rutte commended Trump’s announcement, saying: “It volition mean that Ukraine tin get its hands connected truly monolithic numbers of subject equipment, some for aerial defence, but besides missiles, ammunition, etc.

“If I was Vladimir Putin today, and perceive you speaking astir what you were readying to bash successful 50 days, and this announcement, I would reconsider whether I should not instrumentality negotiations astir Ukraine much earnestly than I was doing astatine the moment.”

Trump said helium would beryllium pulling Patriot aerial defence systems from astir the satellite to beryllium sold to NATO countries and distributed by the defence bloc, but helium did not accidental whether the US would besides beryllium sending long-range rockets and different violative weapons.

During the property conference, Trump repeatedly expressed his vexation with Putin.

“My conversations with him are ever precise pleasant … I spell home, I archer the archetypal lady: ‘I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a fantastic conversation’. She said: ‘Oh, really, different metropolis was conscionable hit’.”

Trump said that, dissimilar his predecessors, helium wasn’t “fooled” by Putin but that ultimately, speech doesn’t talk. It’s got to beryllium enactment … He knows the deal. He knows what a just woody is.”

Melinda Haring, a nonresident elder chap astatine the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, said Trump’s about-face came aft months of Putin’s continued onslaught.

“Trump gave Putin six months. He stuck his cervix out, and helium said that helium was going to marque peace. And helium besides felt similar Putin was stringing him along. In summation to those reasons, determination were radical that were adjacent to the president showing him pictures of Ukraine, of the cities and children that are being harmed each azygous night,” she said.

In Kyiv, Ukrainians are cautiously viewing the announcement arsenic a beardown connection of support, contempt the galore chartless details.

“If Patriot batteries truly bash marque their mode to Ukraine, past that is going to spell a agelong mode to protecting the skies implicit this country, arsenic it tries to endure astir nightly monolithic barrages of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” said Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands.

The Kremlin responded by noting that the West had agelong provided weapons and instrumentality to Ukraine and said dialog remained important to Moscow.

But wrong Russian society, the US-NATO announcement was greeted with disappointment, said Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova.

“There were hopes erstwhile Donald Trump came into powerfulness that the struggle would end. People saw that Trump had immoderate steps to bring bid to Ukraine to assistance decorativeness this conflict, but present he’s benignant of mislaid his patience,” she said. “Pro-war sources say: ‘You see, we told you that Russia didn’t person to spot Donald Trump due to the fact that helium was not Russia’s friend.'”