Reciprocal Tariffs to Be Reaffirmed on April 2
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he plans to have a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 18th (local time).
According to Bloomberg and AP News on the 17th, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Florida to Washington D.C., "I will see if there is something to announce by Tuesday. I am scheduled to speak with President Putin on Tuesday."
President Trump said, "A lot of work has been done over the weekend," adding, "We want to see if we can end that war."
Regarding the negotiations between both sides, President Trump said, "As you know, a lot of territory has changed significantly compared to before the war," and added, "We will talk about territory and about power plants." He further stated, "We are already discussing the division of certain assets." The power plants mentioned by President Trump appear to refer to the nuclear power plants in Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces.
After Ukraine agreed to a '30-day ceasefire plan,' the U.S. has been waiting for Russia's agreement. Earlier, Steve Witkoff, President Trump's Middle East envoy, said in a CNN interview on the 16th that he had a positive discussion about a peace settlement with President Putin on the 13th, and that Presidents Trump and Putin would have a call this week. On the 15th, U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio had a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the peace settlement issue. However, while Russia is in principle in favor of a ceasefire, it has presented conditions, stating that further discussions are necessary.
Despite recent stock market turmoil and concerns about an economic recession, President Trump reiterated his plan to impose reciprocal tariffs and sector-specific tariffs starting April 2. Although he has changed his stance on some tariffs, such as those on Mexico, he said he has no intention of backing down on reciprocal tariffs. He also stated that additional tariffs will be imposed on automobiles, steel, and aluminum.
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