Trump 'Very Angry' at Putin, Threatens Tariffs on Russian Oil

President Donald Trump expressed anger towards Russian President Vladimir Putin over comments criticizing the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Trump's Comments: In an interview on Sunday, Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” that Putin called for a transitional government in Ukraine, claiming Zelensky is not a legitimate leader. “Because when he [Putin] considers Zelensky 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,” Trump said. He added that he and Putin maintained “a very good relationship” and that his anger would dissipate quickly if Putin “does the right thing.” 

Potential Tariffs: Trump also threatened to impose tariffs on Russian oil if a ceasefire deal with Ukraine is not reached, a move that could impact countries that procure oil from Russia. Entities buying oil from Russia would not be able to do business in the United States. 

How The Media Covered It: The New York Post (Lean Right bias) said, “Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov tried to downplay Trump’s outrage.” While other outlets lead with Trump's critical comments toward Putin, the Washington Examiner (Lean Right) framed him as lashing out at Putin and Zelensky, noting changes to the US-Ukraine mineral deal. NBC News (Lean Left) said Trump “falsely” called Zelensky a dictator. 

Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission.