Putin can’t believe it. He wasn’t expecting this from Trump at all.
And Donald Trump hammers Vladimir Putin with an eyebrow raising ultimatum.
Trump Unveils Plan to Arm Ukraine and Pressure Russia with Tariffs
In a high-stakes meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, July 14, President Donald Trump announced a sweeping strategy to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russia while issuing a stark ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The plan hinges on European NATO allies funding billions in American-made military equipment, including coveted Patriot missiles, for Ukraine, paired with a threat of crippling 100-percent secondary tariffs on nations trading with Russia if peace isn’t made within 50 days.
A New Approach to Curb Russian Aggression
President Trump laid out an aggressive timeline, giving Putin until early September to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Failure to comply would trigger what he called “secondary tariffs” targeting countries that purchase Russian exports, such as oil and coal.
Unlike traditional sanctions, which have yielded uneven results, these tariffs aim to isolate Moscow economically by penalizing its trade partners, including major buyers like China and India.
Trump declared, “we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs… doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, it’s very simple, and they’ll be at 100 per cent, and that’s the way it is, couldn’t be more simple. I hope we don’t have to do it.”
The strategy seeks to choke Russia’s economy, which continues to profit from energy exports. Notably, even NATO member Turkey and the European Union remain significant importers of Russian coal, oil, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Trump urged Putin to pivot toward peace, noting, “from Putin’s standpoint, their economy is going very poorly, he’s got to get his economy back, save his country … he’s got a great country for trading, he could use the assets instead of war. He’s got some tremendous potential.”
A Game-Changing Weapons Deal
Central to Trump’s announcement was a landmark agreement with European NATO allies to supply Ukraine with a surge of military equipment, fully funded by Europe but manufactured in the United States. This deal, described by Rutte as “really big,” promises to funnel significant investment into American companies while equipping Ukraine to counter Russian aggression.
“We’ve made a deal today where we’re going to be sending them weapons and they’re going to be paying for them,” Trump explained. “They’ll be sent to NATO, NATO may choose to have some of them sent to other countries where we can get a little additional speed where the country can release something, it’ll be mostly in the form of a replacement.”
Rutte elaborated on the logistics, emphasizing urgency: “Countries will move equipment fast into Ukraine, and then the U.S. later backfilling that because speed is of the essence.” He added that the U.S. must balance its own defense needs, as it remains “the police agent of the whole world.”
A standout example involves an unnamed country agreeing to delay delivery of 17 Patriot missile systems, allowing some to be redirected to Ukraine. These systems are critical for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles targeting Ukrainian cities. European nations will initially draw from their own arsenals to arm Ukraine, later replenishing their stocks with U.S.-made replacements.
“Europe is stepping up,” Rutte affirmed. “Ukraine can get its hands on really massive numbers of military equipment both for air defence but also missiles, ammunition etc.” He addressed Putin directly: “So if I was Vladimir Putin today and I hear what you are planning to do in 50 days, I would reconsider that I should take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously.”
A Personal Touch Amid High Stakes
Trump also shared a candid glimpse into his diplomatic efforts, revealing the First Lady Melania Trump’s role as a sobering influence. “I speak to [Putin a lot]… I always hang up and say ‘well that was a nice phone call’ and then missiles are launched into Kyiv,” he recounted. “I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘you know, I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation’. And then she says ‘oh really? Another city was just hit.’”
The president expressed frustration with Putin’s pattern of promising peace while continuing attacks, stating he is “very unhappy” with the Russian leader’s actions. The proposed tariffs aim to force a reckoning, targeting nations like China, India, and even allies like Turkey and the EU, which continue to fuel Russia’s war machine through energy purchases.
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