Vladimir Putin remains unmoved by Donald Trump’s threats to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia. The US President has grown increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin leader’s refusal to engage in meaningful peace talks on Ukraine.
The White House incumbent told the BBC he was “disappointed in him”, but was not “yet done” with him. In attempts to pressure the Kremlin tyrant to the negotiating table, Trump has green lit a new weapons package for Kyiv and threatened more hard biting sanctions on Moscow. These would target countries buying Russian oil, a major source of financing for Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Trump has given his Russian counterpart 50 days to stop the war or face the full wrath of the White House. However, sources close to the Kremlin say Putin is unmoved and will not bow to Trump’s demands, in a humiliating setback for the US President.
A Kremlin insider told Reuters that the Russian supremo does not believe the Americans have seriously engaged with him on the details for a peace deal in Ukraine. They added that Putin puts the interest of Russia above all else and that he will continue until “he gets what he wants”.
Putin has placed a number of conditions for any long lasting peace in Ukraine, which critics argue are unacceptable to Kyiv and would amount to an abject surrender.
These include a legally binding pledge that NATO will not expand eastwards, Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection for Russian speakers who live there, and acceptance of Russia’s territorial gains.
Trump’s administration has already said it is willing to accept de jure Russian sovereignty over Crimea, and de facto control over the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. It has also seemingly ruled out Ukrainian membership of Nato, a decision that infuriated Kyiv and its allies.
Trump confirmed that 17 Patriot air defence systems are being prepared for shipment to Ukraine. He also announced a plan for European countries to purchase weapons and transfer them to Ukraine, with Germany seeking to buy two additional Patriot air defence systems for Kyiv.
The White House is reportedly considering allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS for strikes inside Russia at full 300-km range as well as the possible delivery of Tomahawk missiles – that could strike Moscow and St Petersburg if fired from Ukraine.
