How On Earth Did Vladimir Putin Avoid Donald Trump's Tariffs – But Ukraine Didn't?

Russian President Vladimir Putin somehow avoided Donald Trump's tariffs.Vladimir Putin’sRussia was one of the only countries in the world not to be slapped with additional tariffs from Donald Trump last night.The US president announced a series of “reciprocal” taxes on international imports into America which he said would boost the US economy.The move has triggered widespread fears of a global trade war, as more than 60 countries were hit.The baseline rate of 10% was imposed on a few nations like the UK, New Zealand and Taliban-run Afghanistan, while others like the EU, faced 20%.Canada and Mexico were not included in Wednesday’s “Liberation Day” announcements, but are still subject to 25% tariffs imposed earlier this year.The “worst offenders” – countries Trump believed had not been equitable in their trade with the States – faced far higher rates.The total levy on Chinese goods now exceeds 50%, having received a 34% tax hike this week, while Taiwan was slapped with a 32% tariff, India 26% and Japan 24%.Meanwhile, war-torn Ukraine was slapped with the 10% base rate, even as it grapples with ongoing Russian aggression.Trump has expressed frustration with Kyiv recently, and alleged Ukraine is trying to renegotiate its mineral deal with the US.So why did Russia – and Belarus – not feature on the list at all?The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that Moscow did not get any extra tariffs because the US sanctions against Russia already “preclude any meaningful trade”.Like much of the West, the States hit Russia with sanctions after it invaded Ukraine in 2022.Trump has threatened to increase those sanctions unless a ceasefire deal is reached with Ukraine – although he is yet to do so.He said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with Putin after he criticised the credibility of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Ukrainian presidency.The US president claimed he might subsequently put a higher tax on Russia’s oil imports.He said: “That would be, that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”But Trump has mostly aligned with Moscow over the Ukraine war, piling praise on Putin’s “genius” and “savvy” invasion back in 2022.Now he’s in office again, he has been pushing to end the war as soon as possible, but expressed great sympathy with Putin’s decision to invade – and even hinted the conflict could be resolved on Russia terms.And the States still does plenty of trade $3.5 billion with Russia in 2024 (albeit down 12.3% from 2023).And Russia’s investment envoy Kirill Dimitriev also met with US officials in Washington on Wednesday, according to Reuters, but it’s not clear what was discussed.Cuba, North Korea and Belarus were left off the tariffs list for the same reason as Russia, according to the White House.Related...Putin's Ambassador Has Taken Trolling To The Next Level With Bizarre Jibe At EuropeNewspapers In Putin's Russia Brutally Skewer Trump Over Ukraine Peace TalksPutin Minister Spurns Trump's Peace Plan – And Unveils Largest Conscription Drive Yet