Kremlin official says Trump's threats of tariffs are 'serious' and Putin will comment if necessary

A Kremlin official on Tuesday said that President Donald Trump's threats about secondary tariffs were serious and that Russian President Vladimir Putin will comment if necessary.

“We certainly need time to analyze what was said in Washington," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Trump's statements, according to The Epoch Times. "And if and when President Putin deems it necessary, he will definitely comment.”

President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he would implement 100% tariffs on Russia if Moscow did not reach an agreement to end the war within 50 days.

"We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days," he said during a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte. "Tariffs at about 100%, you call them secondary tariffs."

Trump has said in the past that he is disappointed in Putin and wants the war in Ukraine to end. 

“We‘ll have a great conversation," Trump told the BBC in an interview. "I’ll say: ‘That’s good. I’ll think we’re close to getting it done,‘ and then he’ll knock down a building in Kyiv.”

The U.S. has been funding Ukraine in the war against Russia since it began in 2022.