Ukraine War: Trump threatens Russia trading partners with 100 percent tariffs

US President Donald Trump threatens Russia’s trading partners with tariffs of around 100 percent. These would be raised if there was no deal in the end of the Russian war against Ukraine within 50 days, said the Republican at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the White House.

Trump spoke of “very violent tariffs”. The United States had spent around $ 350 billion in connection with the war and would like to have ended.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed Trump’s announcements. Sitting next to him, he said: “If I (Kremlin chief) were Vladimir Putin today, and I would hear what you talk about – what should happen in 50 days – after this announcement I would consider whether I shouldn’t take the negotiations on Ukraine significantly more seriously than before.” For Ukraine, these are really great news.

Trump: I am very disappointed

This is a change of direction for Trump. For a long time he had been able to end the war with negotiations – and made a phone call to Putin several times. In the end he had more and more expressed his displeasure, on Sunday (local time) he said, for example: “I am very disappointed by President Putin. I thought he was someone who thinks what he says.”

Trump had previously announced that the United States wanted to sell patriot weapons for Ukraine to European countries. In front of journalists in the United States, he said: “For us, this will be a business and we will send you Patriots that you urgently need.” Trump said that the United States does not pay anything, but 100 percent European countries.

On the subject of arms deliveries, Rutte said that Trump already informed him on Thursday in a phone call that he decided that Ukraine should get what it needed to defend itself against Russia. Logically, however, Trump wanted the Europeans to pay for it. This also builds on the decisions of the NATO summit, in which all the Allies had undertaken to increase their defense spending to five percent of their economic output.

One of the countries that is ready to pay is Germany. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is today in Washington. Patriot (“Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target”) is one of the most modern air defense systems in the world. Enemy aircraft, ballistic rockets and cruise missiles are combated.

Rutte: Europe will show assignment

Rutte assured Trump that Europe will now show commitment again. Germany is currently massively committed, but also countries such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, England, the Netherlands and Canada. “They all want to be part of it – and that’s just the first wave – there will be more,” said the Dutch. One will now determine the exact need for Ukraine via the NATO structures, in order to be able to put packages with “with speed and pragmatism”, which are about air defense, but also things like rockets and ammunition.

It is only important to ensure that the USA remained defensive. “Because in the end you are the global policeman (Police Agent of the Whole World). You are the most powerful nation in the world, with the strongest military in the world,” said Rutte to Trump.