President Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One about the ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday evening that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would have "big problems" if he tried to back out of the mineral deal currently being negotiated.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of wanting to renegotiate the mineral deal and continued to assert Ukraine would not join Nato as part of any peace deal.
"He wants to be a member of Nato. Well, he was never going to be a member of Nato. He understands that. If he's looking to renegotiate the deal, he's got big problems," said Trump.
Asked about fears Putin wouldn't uphold his end of the deal, the president insisted he trusted the Russian leader and that they'd always gotten along well.
Trump's comments on Putin struck a friendlier tone than earlier on Sunday when he claimed he was "very angry" and "pi**ed off" with the Russian president.
Trump, as well as other countries including the UK, have been trying to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine for the past few weeks.
Last week, the White House announced a deal for Russia to halt military action in the Black Sea in exchange for lifting sanctions on its banks and exports. This fell short of the 30-day full ceasefire initially proposed.
In an NBC News interview on Sunday, Trump criticised Putin for undermining Zelenskyy and warned he would impose a 50% tariff on nations buying Russian oil if Putin refused to halt the war.
However, Trump maintained that he and Putin have a "very good relationship".
Trump shouted at Zelenskyy during an Oval Office meeting in February
“I was very angry – pi**ed off – when Putin started getting into Zelenskyy’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location, you understand?” Trump said, referring to Putin’s suggestion last week that Ukraine will be placed under a “temporary administration” while the two nations work toward a deal.
He continued: “But new leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time, right? … But I was pi**ed off about it. But if a deal isn’t made, and if I think it was Russia’s fault, I’m going to put secondary sanctions on Russia.”
Trump’s tough stance on Putin contrasts with his more critical remarks on Zelenskyy and his calls for elections in Ukraine. He said Putin knows he is angry.
If Russia refuses a ceasefire, Trump warned he would take further economic action if he believed Putin was to blame.
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“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, which it might not be, but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” he said.
He added that there would be “a 25 to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
The 78-year-old president explained: “Anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States."
Trump did not explain how he would enforce the proposed secondary tariffs.
When asked if he would speak to Putin this week if the Russian leader “does the right thing,” Trump simply replied, “Yeah".
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