Trump Threatens Secondary Russia Tariffs of 100% (Full Remarks)

President Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

US President Donald Trump threatened to impose stiff economic penalties on Russia if it doesn’t end hostilities with Ukraine within 50 days as he pledged fresh weapons supplies for Kyiv.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%,” Trump said Monday during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

Trump said the levies would come in the form of “secondary tariffs,” without providing details. The US president has used the term in the past to describe duties imposed on countries for trading with American adversaries. The threats echo punishment spelled out in a bipartisan bill in Congress that would impose 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas such as China and India.

The US president’s move to put pressure on Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin came after several months of unsuccessfully trying to cajole Moscow into halting its offensive in Ukraine and negotiate a peace deal. Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.

The initial response from Russia was dismissive — and oil declined for a second day as traders doubted Trump’s plan would pose a meaningful obstacle to Moscow’s energy exports. Global benchmark Brent fell beneath $69 a barrel after losing 1.6% on Monday.

Trump later said he was “disappointed” in Putin, but not “done with him,” during an interview with the BBC.

Asked if Trump meant to refer to the more widely known tool “secondary sanctions,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters that sanctions and tariffs were “both tools in his toolbox” and that “you can do either one.” A White House official said Russia could face both measures if it fails to sign a ceasefire deal by early September.

Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, said the planned action effectively represents secondary sanctions on countries buying oil from Russia. “It’s about tariffs on countries like India and China that are buying their oil,” he told reporters. “And it really is going to, I think, dramatically impact the Russian economy.”

Trump did not elaborate on the powers he would use to impose secondary tariffs. He said he wasn’t sure “we need” Congress to act in order to move forward, but said the legislation “could be very useful.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said now isn’t the time to vote on the sanctions package, but lawmakers are ready to move if needed.

China criticized the US effort to pressure Beijing over its energy ties with Moscow. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for deeper engagement with Russia in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said his country opposes “long-arm jurisdiction.”

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, mocked Trump’s warning.

The comments mark the latest signal of Trump’s growing impatience with Moscow’s war in Ukraine, which has dragged on since 2022. But the arrangement also risks Moscow continuing its barrage on the battlefield before it returns to talks. Putin has insisted he wants iron-clad assurances first on resolving what he calls the root causes of the conflict, including by ending Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and Western military support.

Trump said the US was sending a “top-of-the-line weapons” package that includes Patriot air defense batteries. The president said that NATO member states will pay for the weapons to be sent to Ukraine.

“We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it,” Trump said. “They’re going to be paying for it.”

Much of what Kyiv will receive will depend on Europe’s ability and willingness to make the purchases. Ukraine needs air defense systems and drone interceptors as well as a constant supply of artillery shells and missiles as Moscow unleashes record air strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Monday in a post on X that he had spoken with Trump, who briefed him on his discussions with Rutte.

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