The US president suggested potential secondary tariffs on Russia if the peace process falters.
President Trump has expressed his belief that Russian President Putin will uphold his commitments in a possible peace agreement concerning the conflict in Ukraine. He also cautioned Ukraine against withdrawing from a rare-earth minerals agreement with the United States.
Speaking to reporters, Trump reiterated his aim to quickly resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, stating that he wants to ensure Putin honors any peace accord.
“I believe he will. I would prefer not to impose secondary tariffs on their oil, but it’s a measure I would consider if I felt he wasn’t fulfilling his obligations,” Trump said.
He voiced his hope that Ukraine’s President Zelensky would also keep his promises, but criticized him for what he perceived as attempts to renegotiate the rare-earths agreement that would allow the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. While Trump has presented this deal as a way for Ukraine to repay past US aid, Zelensky has maintained that Kiev owes Washington nothing.
“We finalized a deal for rare earths. Now they’re indicating they’ll only proceed with the deal if they join NATO, or something similar,” Trump stated. He asserted that Ukraine’s NATO membership was “never… discussed,” implying it was the likely trigger for the increased hostilities between Moscow and Kiev in 2022.
Trump had previously warned Zelensky of “big problems” should he reject the rare-earths deal. However, the Ukrainian president claimed that “the framework [of the agreement] has been changed” from what he was prepared to agree to during a meeting with Trump in late February.
During that White House meeting, tensions rose, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being ungrateful and “playing with World War III” because of his perceived reluctance to make a deal with Russia.
Additionally, Trump mentioned on Sunday that he was “very angry” about Putin’s suggestion to put Ukraine under a temporary UN-led administration to conduct new elections. Russia has long argued that Zelensky is an “illegitimate” leader, since his presidential term expired in May 2024.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow and Washington are exploring various ideas to resolve the Ukraine conflict, and that Putin is open to engaging with Trump. Russia insists that the conflict could be resolved if Ukraine commits to neutrality and demilitarization, and acknowledges the current territorial situation.