“We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it,” Trump said during a White House press conference.
During a meeting in the Oval Office with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump added: “We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs. If we don’t have a deal in 50 days, it’s very simple. And they’ll be at 100 percent, and that’s the way it is.”
Trump said he had hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would have already reached a peace agreement. “I’m disappointed in President Putin because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there. So based on that, we’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” he said.
The new comments come as Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities have ramped up. Earlier in July, Ukrainian officials said 11 civilians were killed and over 80 others were injured in attacks involving more than 100 drones, including injuries to at least seven children.
Last week, Trump confirmed that more US weapons would be sent to Ukraine, shortly after reports emerged that military aid had slowed.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to,” Trump said at the White House before a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They have to be able to defend themselves.”
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