Trump warns Putin he’ll be the next tariff target if the Ukraine war doesn’t end

President Donald Trump, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July 2018, warned he’ll impose high tariffs if Putin doesn’t agree to end the Ukraine war.

President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that he’ll impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, doesn’t end the Ukraine war soon.

“I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War!” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

“IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. 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 added.

Trump promised during his campaign that upon his return to the White House, he would swiftly end Russia’s brutal invasion, which is nearing its three-year mark and has seen high casualties on both sides. But on the campaign trail he left it unclear how his administration planned to bring Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the negotiating table, with many war analysts warning it will be difficult to get Putin to negotiate while his forces are advancing.

Trump said in his Truth Social post that he was not looking to hurt Russia and that he has a good relationship with Putin. Hours after he was sworn into office on Monday, the US president said he was setting up a meeting with his Russian counterpart.