Mr. Trump mentioned he was “very, very sad” with Vladimir Putin, underlining his insistence that his persistence had lastly snapped with the Russian chief’s refusal to finish the lethal battle.
“We’re going to be doing very extreme tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%,” Mr. Trump mentioned throughout an Oval Office assembly with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The Republican added that they’d be “secondary tariffs” that concentrate on Russia’s remaining commerce companions – looking for to cripple Moscow’s potential to outlive already sweeping Western sanctions.
Russia’s prime buying and selling companion final yr was China, accounting for about 34%, adopted distantly by India, Turkey and Belarus, in response to the Russian Federal Customs Service.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Rutte additionally unveiled a deal underneath which the NATO navy alliance would purchase billions of {dollars} of arms from the United States – together with Patriot anti-missile batteries – after which ship them to Ukraine.
“This is admittedly huge,” mentioned Mr. Rutte, as he touted a deal aimed toward easing Mr. Trump’s long-held complaints that the U.S. is paying greater than European and NATO allies to help Ukraine.
“Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Britain had been among the many consumers serving to Ukraine,” added the NATO chief.
“If I used to be Vladimir Putin right this moment and heard you talking… I’d rethink that I ought to take negotiations about Ukraine extra critically,” mentioned Mr. Rutte.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced he had spoken with Mr. Trump and was “grateful” for the arms deal.
‘Very very long time’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned Berlin would play a “decisive function” within the new weapons plan.
But EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas mentioned Mr. Trump’s sanctions deadline was too far into the longer term. “Fifty days is a really very long time if we see that they’re killing harmless civilians on daily basis,” she mentioned.
Mr. Trump tried a rapprochement with Mr. Putin shortly after beginning his second time period, having campaigned on a pledge to finish the Ukraine struggle inside 24 hours.
His pivot in the direction of Mr. Putin sparked fears in Kyiv that he was about to promote out Ukraine, particularly after Mr. Trump and his staff berated Mr. Zelenskyy within the Oval Office on February 28.
But in current weeks Mr. Trump has proven growing frustration with Mr. Putin, because the Russian chief stepped up missile and drone assaults to document ranges as an alternative of halting his invasion.
Washington has additionally U-turned from an announcement earlier this month that it might pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv.
Mr. Trump mentioned his spouse Melania had helped change his desirous about Mr. Putin, a person for whom he previously expressed admiration.
“I’m going residence, I inform the First Lady, ‘you already know, I spoke to Vladimir right this moment, we had an exquisite dialog,’” Mr. Trump mentioned. “And she mentioned, ‘Oh actually? Another metropolis was simply hit.’”
He added of Mr. Putin, “I don’t need to say he’s an murderer, however he’s a tricky man.”
‘Better late than by no means’
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who’re pushing a bipartisan invoice on Russia secondary sanctions, praised Mr. Trump’s “highly effective” transfer.
“The final hammer to deliver in regards to the finish of this struggle shall be tariffs towards nations, like China, India and Brazil, that prop up Mr. Putin’s struggle machine,” they mentioned in a press release.
Mr. Trump’s particular envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Monday (July 14, 2025) for what Mr. Zelenskyy referred to as a “productive assembly.”
One Ukrainian soldier deployed within the war-scarred east of the nation, who recognized himself by his name signal Grizzly, welcomed Mr. Trump’s promise of contemporary air defence programs.
“Better late than by no means,” the 29-year-old informed AFP.
Russian forces in the meantime mentioned on Monday (July 14, 2025) they’d captured new territory in jap Ukraine with the seizure of 1 village within the Donetsk area and one other within the Zaporizhzhia area.
Its forces additionally killed no less than three civilians within the jap Kharkiv and Sumy areas on Monday (July 14, 2025), Ukrainian officers mentioned.
In Kyiv, Mr. Zelenskyy additionally proposed a serious political shake-up, recommending economic system minister Yulia Svyrydenko take over new prime minister, and appointing present premier Prime Minister Denys Shmygal as Defence Minister.
