U.S. President Donald Trump has become impatient with Russian President Vladimir Putin for dragging his feet over a ceasefire deal with Ukraine, according to Finland’s head of state.
After his visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he had told his U.S. counterpart that Putin could not be trusted, local outlet YLE reported, according to a translation.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Earlier this month, Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has refused the deal, attaching conditions to a proposed ceasefire in the Black Sea that many have seen as a stalling tactic.
Trump, who spoke with Putin on the phone on March 18, has touted his relationship with the Russian leader, raising concerns that Moscow would emerge with the upper hand in any peace deal with Kyiv. However, Stubb’s comments suggest a tougher tone from the U.S. president toward Putin that is likely to be welcomed by Ukraine and its allies.
LUDOVIC MARIN/Getty Images
What To Know
On Sunday, Trump told NBC News that he was “very angry” that Putin had questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He also threatened secondary sanctions on Russian oil, which one energy industry expert told Newsweek had the potential to deliver a significant blow to Russia’s most lucrative export.
Stubb told reporters on Sunday about his conversation with Trump following their golf game the previous day during the Trump International Spring Member-Guest Tournament, which included Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
The Finnish leader said he had conveyed the strong support from Helsinki and other European allies for Ukraine’s fight against Putin’s aggression.
Stubb also said Trump had asked him whether Putin could be trusted, replying that he couldn’t be. The Finnish leader conveyed to Trump the need to achieve a ceasefire deal without any conditions by April 20, according to YLE.
Stubb said he spoke with Trump and Graham about the U.S.’s proposed sanctions package on Russia, which dozens of lawmakers support, to exert pressure on Putin. He also said the U.S. leader was “quite impatient” over the delay to Washington’s ceasefire proposal.
Trump’s Proposed Oil Sanctions
According to NBC, Trump said on Sunday that he was “pissed off” with Putin questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy, referencing the Kremlin’s rhetoric over the wartime martial law that has halted presidential elections in Ukraine.
Trump said that if he felt Putin was to blame for a ceasefire deal not coming to fruition, he would put “secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia.”
Thomas O’Donnell, an energy expert in Berlin and a global fellow at the Wilson Center think tank, told Newsweek that Trump seemed to imply secondary sanctions of between 25 to 50 percent on any oil the purchasing country exported to the U.S.
Big consumers of oil, such as India and China, do not generally reexport it to the U.S. However, if Trump intended blanket tariffs on anything those countries exported to the U.S., then that would be a blow to Russia’s main export.
However, much would also depend on whether Trump wanted to put tariffs on refined product exports.
“Secondary financial sanctions on any firm or bank involved in imports of Russian oil would also be hard-hitting if enforced thoroughly,” O’Donnell said.
It is not clear who or what entities the tariffs would be on. If they are on all the violating countries’ exports to the U.S., “then it is a big deal,” O’Donnell added, but if they are on oil exports to the U.S., they will be ineffective.
What People Are Saying
Finnish President Alexander Stubb: “He [Trump] is quite impatient with Russia’s actions and this kind of conspiracy and procrastination over the ceasefire. I tried to explain that this is completely normal Russian activity. First, something is negotiated—and then conditions are set again.”
War Translated, an account on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: “US prepares sanctions on Russia if it doesn’t stop the war in Ukraine, says Finland’s President Stubb after talks with Trump. Trump’s ‘furious’ at Russia’s tactics.”
President Donald Trump told NBC News: “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 … I am going to put secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia.”
What Happens Next
Trump appeared to soften his tone toward Putin later on Sunday, telling reporters he did not believe the Russian leader would “go back on his word.” The U.S. president also said there would be “big problems” for Zelensky if he rowed back on a deal over Ukrainian minerals.