Trump Should Act Now to Make Putin Face Consequences for Manipulating Him

President Donald Trump should not hesitate any longer regarding his imminent conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin: impose those secondary tariffs on Russian oil immediately, so Putin understands you mean business.

Trump raised the potential for new tariffs over the weekend, expressing that he is “very angry” and “pissed off” at Putin for hindering the U.S. efforts towards achieving lasting peace in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

This month, Putin’s aides agreed to partial cease-fires in the Black Sea and concerning attacks on energy infrastructure — only for the Kremlin to quickly renegade on both commitments while introducing new preconditions for any potential agreement.

Trump is still leaving room for Putin to change course: “If Russia and I cannot reach an agreement to halt the violence in Ukraine, and if I believe Russia is at fault — which may or may not be the case — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I will impose secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming from Russia,” the president told NBC.

“This means that if you purchase oil from Russia, you will not be able to conduct business in the United States,” he further explained.

Putin’s actions to date suggest he believes he can outmaneuver Trump; our president would be doing everyone a favor by taking decisive action now to dispel that misconception.

Impose the tariffs without delay, and start strategizing greater pressure on Putin if he doesn’t engage in meaningful negotiations.