Washington (AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was "very angry, pissed off" with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, NBC reported, marking a sharp change of tone as Washington seeks to end the war in Ukraine.
NBC's Kristen Welker said Trump had called her to express his anger over Putin questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's future as a leader -- something that Trump himself has done.
Welker, on her NBC show "Meet The Press" on Sunday, quoted directly from an early-morning telephone conversation with the president.
Trump said that "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" then he would impose "secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia."
Welker said Trump told her "I was very angry, pissed off" over Putin's recent comments about Zelensky's credibility and talking about new leadership in Ukraine.
Trump has been pushing for a speedy end to the more than three-year war since taking office, but his administration has failed to reach a breakthrough despite talks with both sides.
Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a 30-day ceasefire, and on Friday suggested Zelensky be removed from office as part of the peace process.
Ukraine has accused Russia of dragging out talks with no intention of halting its offensive, with a fresh attack over the weekend on the northeastern border city of Kharkiv.
Trump told NBC that Putin knows he is angry, but said that he has "a very good relationship with him" and "the anger dissipates quickly... if he does the right thing."
Warming ties between Washington and Moscow since Trump's return to office and his threats to stop supporting Kyiv have bolstered Russia on the battlefield as it pursues its floundering invasion.
Putin, in power for 25 years and repeatedly elected in votes with no competition, has often questioned Zelensky's "legitimacy" as president, after the Ukrainian leader's initial five-year mandate ended in May 2024.
Under Ukrainian law, elections are suspended during times of major military conflict, and Zelensky's domestic opponents have all said no ballots should be held until after the conflict.
Trump has himself had rocky relations with Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and clashing with him live on camera at the White House last month.
"For too long now, America's proposal for an unconditional ceasefire has been on the table without an adequate response from Russia," Zelensky said in his evening address on Saturday.
"There could already be a ceasefire if there was real pressure on Russia," he added, thanking those countries "who understand this" and have stepped up sanctions pressure on the Kremlin.
Both Moscow and Kyiv agreed to the concept of a Black Sea truce following talks with US officials earlier this week, but Russia said the deal would not enter into force until Ukraine's allies lifted certain sanctions.
Explaining the secondary tariffs threat, Trump told NBC "that would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can't do business in the United States."
"There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25 to 50 point tariff on all oil," he added, without giving further details.
I bet Trump promised some donors access to the minerals of Ukraine. And now those donors are getting mad at Trump.
Oh well, shouldn't promise something you don't already have.
But... but... he has the cards!