Trump Threatens Secondary Tariffs on Russian Oil If Ukraine Cease-Fire Fails

The president said he‘d impose sanctions ’if Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault.’

(Left) U.S. President Donald Trump in the East Room at the White House on Feb. 24, 2025; (Right) Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech at the Kremlin in Moscow on Feb. 23, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump said on March 30 that he would levy secondary tariffs of 25 percent to 50 percent on all Russian oil, which could start within a month, if he thinks that the nation is hindering his efforts to end the war with Ukraine or tries to prevent a cease-fire.

In a March 30 phone interview with NBC News, of which the audio and transcript have not yet been released, Trump said he was angry when Russian President Vladimir Putin called into question the credibility of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership. Trump said he planned to speak with the Russian president this week.