US President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” when Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership.
He also threatened to impose secondary tariffs of 25 to 50 per cent on buyers of Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, which he has repeatedly described as a “ridiculous war”.
“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 in a telephone interview with NBC News on Sunday.
“That would be, that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25 per cent tariff on all oil, a 25-to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has adopted a more conciliatory stance towards Russia that has made western allies wary as he tries to broker an end to the three-year-old war in Ukraine. His sharp comments about Mr Putin on Sunday reflect his growing frustration about the lack of movement on a ceasefire.
Mr Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian plan for a 30-day ceasefire, and on Friday suggested Mr Zelenskyy be removed from office as part of the peace process.
Mr Trump, who himself has called for new elections in Ukraine and denounced Mr Zelenskyy as a dictator, said Mr Putin knows he is angry with him. But the US President added he had “a very good relationship with him” and “the anger dissipates quickly … if he does the right thing.”
Mr Trump said he could impose the new trade measures within a month. There was no immediate reaction from Moscow. Russia has called numerous western sanctions and restrictions “illegal” and designed for the West to take economic advantage in its rivalry with Russia.
Mr Trump also told NBC News that he planned to speak to his Russian counterpart this week.
Later, he spoke to reporters on his plane flying back to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and toned down some of his criticism.
“I was disappointed in a certain way,” Mr Trump said. “Some of the things that he said over the last day or two having to do with Zelenskyy because when he considers Zelenskyy not credible. He's supposed to be making a deal with him, whether you like him or you don't like him.
“So, I wasn't happy with that, but I think he's going to be good and I certainly wouldn't want to put secondary tariffs on Russia.”
He then turned his anger towards Mr Zelenskyy, saying: “I see he's trying to back out of the rare earth deal. And if he does that he's got some problems. Big, big problems.
In a separate phone call with NBC News on Saturday, he threatened Iran with bombing if it failed to enter a nuclear deal. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Monday of a forceful retaliation if the Islamic republic is attacked. "If it is carried out, they will definitely receive a strong counterattack."
“There's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago,” he added.
These were his first remarks about Iran since Tehran last week rejected direct negotiations with Washington. He said US and Iranian officials were talking, but did not provide further details.