On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that he would announce global “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2. He acknowledged that there would be some confusion regarding tariffs but assured that it would not last long.
Trump made these remarks during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office. When reporters asked about potential changes to the aluminum tariffs imposed on Wednesday and the reciprocal tariffs planned for April 2, Trump firmly responded, “No.”
Trump emphasized that the U.S. has been taken advantage of for years and will no longer tolerate it. He said he would not back down on issues concerning aluminum, steel, or cars.
Trump specifically addressed Canada, saying, “We don’t need anything that they give,” reiterating his controversial idea of making Canada the 51st state of the U.S.
Furthermore, Trump cited domestic investment plans by U.S. companies, such as Apple’s $500 billion investment proposal, arguing that tariffs are a key factor in driving investment to the U.S.
He also mentioned Facebook’s intention to invest $60 billion by the end of the year.
Regarding the Ukraine conflict, Trump revealed that Special Envoy Stephen Witkoff is currently in Russia for “very serious discussions.” He stated that Ukraine agreed to a complete ceasefire and hoped Russia would do the same. He also mentioned ongoing discussions about the territory Ukraine will retain and those it will lose, along with other elements of the final agreement.
Trump added, ” So many details of a final agreement have already been discussed. Now it’s time to see if Russia is on board or not, and if it’s not, it will be a very disappointing moment for the world.”
Trump also expressed his desire to meet and talk with Putin, stating that there is a need to end the war quickly.
In a surprising turn, Trump also addressed the potential U.S. annexation of Greenland, a Danish territory, saying, “I think that will happen. We need that [Greenland] for international security.”
He shared this vision of annexing Greenland, which is included in NATO’s collective defense area, in front of the NATO Secretary General,
Rutte distanced himself from the Greenland issue, stating, “I won’t engage in any questions regarding the U.S. annexation of Greenland. I don’t want to drag NATO.”
Trump concluded by criticizing NATO’s 2% GDP guideline for defense spending as too low and insisting that it needs to be raised.
