Why is Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin and who will secondary tariffs hurt?

United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was “p* off” at his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and would slap additional financial penalties on the sale of Russian oil if he did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The comments marked a sharp change in tone from Trump, who has been open to peace negotiations with Moscow since his second term began in January.

Here is more about what happened, what Trump’s threat could involve, and why this is significant for Putin’s war on Ukraine, and for countries that buy Russian oil.

What did Trump say about Putin?

During an interview with NBC on Sunday, Trump said he was “very angry” and “p* off” over Putin questioning the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump argued that any move seeking to replace Zelenskyy as the leader of Ukraine would inevitably delay the prospects of a ceasefire.

However, Trump did add that Putin knew he was angry with him. He said he and Putin had “a very good relationship” and “the anger dissipates quickly … if he does the right thing”.

What had Putin said about Zelenskyy?

Putin said Zelenskyy lacked the legitimacy to sign a peace agreement.

The Russian leader has frequently claimed that the Ukrainian government is illegitimate, ever since the 2014 overthrow of Moscow-leaning President Viktor Yanukovych, whom the Kremlin claims had US backing.

Putin suggested on Thursday that a temporary administration be established in Ukraine under the supervision of the United Nations. This proposal was rejected by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Zelenskyy was sworn in as the president of Ukraine in 2019 for a five-year term. The war broke out following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Ukraine was supposed to have presidential elections in 2024, the country has been under martial law due to the war, and its constitution does not allow it to hold elections under martial law conditions.

What is the state of diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war?

During his presidential election campaign, Trump promised that he would bring the Ukraine war to a prompt halt.

Since his inauguration, US negotiating teams have separately met Russian and Ukrainian teams multiple times in Saudi Arabia to discuss peace terms. Trump has also separately spoken to Putin and Zelenskyy since then.