US President Donald Trump threatened to impose stiff economic penalties on Russia if it doesn’t end hostilities with Ukraine within 50 days as he pledged fresh weapons supplies for Kyiv.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%,” Trump said Monday during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.
Trump said the levies would come in the form of “secondary tariffs,” without providing details. The US president has used the term in the past to describe duties imposed on countries for trading with American adversaries. The threats echo punishment spelled out in a bipartisan bill in Congress that would impose 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas such as China and India.
The US president’s move to put pressure on Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin came after several months of unsuccessfully trying to cajole Moscow into halting its offensive in Ukraine and negotiate a peace deal.
Russia has intensified its drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks.
The initial response from Russia was dismissive — and oil declined for a second day as traders doubted Trump’s plan would pose a meaningful obstacle to Moscow’s energy exports. Global benchmark Brent fell beneath US$69 ($88.38) a barrel after losing 1.6% on Monday.
See also: Trump to head to the UK for his second state visit in September
Trump later said he was “disappointed” in Putin, but not “done with him,” during an interview with the BBC.
Asked if Trump meant to refer to the more widely known tool “secondary sanctions,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters that sanctions and tariffs were “both tools in his toolbox” and that “you can do either one.” A White House official said Russia could face both measures if it fails to sign a ceasefire deal by early September.
Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, said the planned action effectively represents secondary sanctions on countries buying oil from Russia. “It’s about tariffs on countries like India and China that are buying their oil,” he told reporters. “And it really is going to, I think, dramatically impact the Russian economy.”
See also: The man of the moment
Trump did not elaborate on the powers he would use to impose secondary tariffs. He said he wasn’t sure “we need” Congress to act in order to move forward, but said the legislation “could be very useful.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said now isn’t the time to vote on the sanctions package, but lawmakers are ready to move if needed.
China criticised the US effort to pressure Beijing over its energy ties with Moscow. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for deeper engagement with Russia in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said his country opposes “long-arm jurisdiction.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, mocked Trump’s warning.Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin.
The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care.— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) July 15, 2025.
The comments mark the latest signal of Trump’s growing impatience with Moscow’s war in Ukraine, which has dragged on since 2022. But the arrangement also risks Moscow continuing its barrage on the battlefield before it returns to talks. Putin has insisted he wants iron-clad assurances first on resolving what he calls the root causes of the conflict, including by ending Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and Western military support.
Trump said the US was sending a “top-of-the-line weapons” package that includes Patriot air defense batteries. The president said that NATO member states will pay for the weapons to be sent to Ukraine.
“We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it,” Trump said. “They’re going to be paying for it.”
To stay ahead of Singapore and the region’s corporate and economic trends, click here for Latest Section
Much of what Kyiv will receive will depend on Europe’s ability and willingness to make the purchases. Ukraine needs air defense systems and drone interceptors as well as a constant supply of artillery shells and missiles as Moscow unleashes record air strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Monday in a post on X that he had spoken with Trump, who briefed him on his discussions with Rutte.
“We discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions. We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace,” Zelenskiy said. “We agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future as well.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed Trump’s announcement. “President Trump and I have discussed this several times in recent days,” Merz said in an emailed statement. “I assured him: Germany will decisively contribute.” Merz’s government has suspended debt restrictions on defense spending both for the German army and military aid for Ukraine.
Trump hailed Monday’s announcement as a major shift in course as he looks to push Putin to end the hostilities. But the details of the decision also reflect Trump’s priorities: It won’t cost the US anything and Trump is not dedicating any new US funding to Ukraine, at least for now.
The White House didn’t immediately explain how Trump envisioned the secondary tariff program working.
The president’s remarks in recent weeks make clear that his willingness to deal with Putin is being tested. Trump directed most of his ire at Zelenskiy during the first several months of his term, but has grown increasingly frustrated that Putin is still refusing his ceasefire demands.
Many of the details of the new weapons cache for Ukraine also remained unclear after Trump’s meeting with Rutte.
The NATO chief said the bloc would coordinate with allies to fulfill Ukraine’s military needs including air defense equipment, missiles and ammunition. Germany will play a major part, alongside Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands and Canada, according to Rutte.
Hours later, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, also in Washington, said Germany had asked the US to make two more Patriot missile batteries available for Ukraine — and he and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had promised to resolve any outstanding issues “quickly and quietly.”
He said that meant Germany expected to pay about US$2 billion. Berlin also plans to buy the mid-range Typhon missile system, he said.
Rutte said that the deal with Trump will allow allies to send weapons to Ukraine more quickly, with the US later backfilling the allies’ supplies. The agreement would be “just the first wave” and more is to come, he added.
“This is again Europeans stepping up,” Rutte said, adding that Putin should “take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously.”
