Trump sends Patriots to Ukraine and threatens Putin with 100% tariffs

11 comments

1. President Trump warned Russia that he would impose “very severe” tariffs against Moscow’s remaining trade partners if it does not resolve its war in Ukraine within 50 days.

   Speaking in an Oval Office meeting with Mark Rutte, the Nato chief, Trump said: “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 per cent, and that’s the way it is.”

   Trump also said that batteries of Patriot air-defence missiles would be sent to Ukraine “within days” in a big rethink of White House policy.

   The White House caused alarm in Kyiv this month when it said it was pausing some arms deliveries to Ukraine, including some Patriot missiles, after a Pentagon review of US weapons stockpiles. US-made Patriot interceptor missiles are the only air-defence systems in Ukraine that are capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles

2. Do the tariffs even matter as Russia is meant to be sanctioned?

3. Assuming “batteries” is an intentional plural, this is significant. The US only sent 2 patriot batteries to Ukraine, so sending another 2+ batteries is a significant improvement in Ukrainian air defenses.

   Trump has been awful on Ukraine so far imo, but if he actually starts ramping up aid on Ukraine and sanctions on Russia that’s a good thing.

4. Tariffs are irrelevant, Russian exports to USA are already 90% down.

5. Tariffs. Of course tariffs.

6. Imagine my disappointment when I figured out Patriots meant missiles…not MAGA Patriots on the front line.

7. Hey wait Democrats have been telling me for years that Trump is Putin’s puppet! What’s going on here!?

8. But not for 50 days and only if there isn’t a deal. So, the Russians will make some noise and mislead Trump for another month. What we now have is Russia unconstrained for 3 more months.

   Trump’s actions are weak, he has continually tried to let Putin off the hook at every opportunity. This condition signalling clearly doesn’t work with Russia, it just offers another option to mislead, lie and manipulate.

9. Well I didn’t think they did great last season, but this is a bit harsh.

10. Tariffs on what. What are we buying from Russia.

11. It ain’t much, but I like the new direction.
    Shame it couldn’t have come at the start of his term instead of whatever he was going for, but I guess that would have been too sensible for this administration.

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