Donald Trump recently criticized Vladimir Putin for his remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; however, it seems that the Russian leader has taken the criticism in stride. Trump’s rhetoric about swiftly ending the conflict in Ukraine has been notable since he assumed the role of the 47th President of the United States, but has he been delivering on those promises?
Trump has expressed significant displeasure with Putin, describing himself as ‘very angry’ and even ‘p****d off,’ suggesting that their previously warm relations might have hit a rough patch. Fortunately, it might not be as severe as it initially appeared.
On March 28, Putin criticized Zelenskyy’s leadership and suggested that the United Nations should administer Ukraine with a provisional government involving the U.S. and some European countries. Trump responded sharply to Putin’s comments, expressing doubts about their direction and stating his own frustration with the Russian leader.
Moreover, Trump informed NBC News of his plans to implement ‘secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia’ if a deal to end the conflict isn’t reached and if Russia is deemed at fault.
“That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil,” he stated.
Despite Trump’s harsh words and the threat of additional tariffs, Putin appears surprisingly open to dialogue. According to the Independent, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin is willing to engage in a conversation with Trump.
Though no call is currently planned, Peskov indicated that discussions between Moscow and Washington are ongoing, and Putin remains receptive to scheduling one.
Peskov has previously suggested that Trump’s comments regarding his anger with Putin might have been ‘paraphrased’.
During his daily briefing, as reported by the BBC, Peskov dismissed Trump’s remarks, suggesting they were not direct quotes.
He explained: “We continue to work with the American side, primarily on sorting out our bilateral relations, which had been greatly damaged by the previous [US] administration. And we are also working on several areas regarding the Ukraine peace process.”
“Work is ongoing. We have nothing concrete yet that we could or should tell you. This process is drawn out due to its complicated nature. The President remains open to contact with President Trump. A telephone call can be organised quickly if needed.”