Trump Hesitant to Sanction Russian Oil—But Will If Putin Won’t Make a Deal

US President Donald Trump has stated that he wants Russian leader Vladimir Putin to negotiate a deal and expressed confidence that the Kremlin will do so. At the same time, Trump said he did not wish to impose additional restrictions on Russian oil, according to CNN, on April 1.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said:

“I want to see him make a deal so that we stop Russian soldiers, Ukrainian soldiers, and other people from being killed.”

Trump reiterated his belief that Putin will agree to a ceasefire, but added that he wants to “make sure” the Russian leader follows through.

“I want to make sure that he follows through, and I think he will,” Trump stated.

He also hinted at potential economic consequences if Putin does not meet his expectations, saying he would consider imposing secondary tariffs on Russian oil.

“I don’t want to go secondary tariffs on his oil. But I think, you know, it’s something I would do if I thought he wasn’t doing the job.,” Trump said, adding that he had previously used similar measures against Venezuela.

Over the weekend, Trump told NBC that if no deal is reached and he believes Russia is at fault, he would move forward with oil tariffs on all Russian crude exports.

Earlier, reports emerged that Trump expressed dissatisfaction with recent remarks made by both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump is putting significant effort into brokering a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. However, the president is reportedly unhappy with the tone and content of statements from both Kyiv and Moscow.

“He has expressed his displeasure with comments that have been made by leaders of both sides of this conflict,” Leavitt told reporters. “He has expressed what he believes needs to take place in order to see this conflict come to an end.”