'It's great for settling wars': Donald Trump threatens Russia with tariffs if Ukraine war is not resolved; issues 50-day ultimatum

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened Russia with tariffs if there isn't a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.

The Republican president made the announcement during an Oval Office meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.

President Trump on Russia: "We're very, very unhappy with them and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100%." pic.twitter.com/nDWaAojSoC

— CSPAN (@cspan) July 14, 2025

"We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days," Trump said.

“I use trade for a lot of things," he added. "But it's great for settling wars.”

"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 told reporters at the White House.

Trump added of Putin on Monday: "I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy."

President Trump on Putin: "I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy." pic.twitter.com/wlOwhd1SFV

— CSPAN (@cspan) July 14, 2025

Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Monday, amid rising expectations of a potential change in the Trump administration’s approach to the three-year-long war.