Trump spares Russia from tariffs to aid peace talks in Ukraine
According to the Russian independent portal Meduza, Donald Trump did not impose tariffs on Russia to avoid tensions related to talks about ending the war in Ukraine. However, it was mentioned that Moscow might also face a separate decree.
What do you need to know?
- Donald Trump did not impose tariffs on Russia.
- According to the Meduza portal, it may be to avoid creating tensions in the context of talks about ending the war in Ukraine.
- Trade turnover between the USA and Russia fell to €3.4 billion in 2024 due to imposed sanctions.
American tariffs do not apply to Russia, "only under the current wave of tariffs", emphasises Meduza. The service reminded audiences that sanctions alone have limited trade turnover between Russia and the USA. In 2024, their value amounted to €3.4 billion (compared to €34.0 billion three years earlier). However, American Axios noted that countries and territories with even lower trade turnover with the USA than Russia were placed on the list of countries subject to tariffs.
Sanctions and tariffs
The White House explains that excluding Russia from the list of countries subject to tariffs is due to existing sanctions that "prevent any significant trade exchange".
It is possible that Trump is avoiding listing Russia as a country subject to tariffs to "avoid creating tension over talks about ending the war in Ukraine." However, Trump applied a 10 percent tariff on Ukraine.
It is not excluded that in the future, Russia will be covered by a separate decree regarding tariffs if it "sabotages Trump's efforts for a peaceful settlement". The U.S. President threatened that if a ceasefire is not reached due to Russia's fault, he will impose "secondary tariffs" on Russian oil.
