White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on April 6 that Russia was excluded from the U.S. tariff list due to ongoing peace negotiations with Ukraine.
In an interview with ABC News, Hassett explained that U.S. President Donald Trump “made the decision not to conflate the two issues,” and that he is focusing on negotiations.
“It’s not appropriate to throw a new thing into these negotiations right in the middle of it.
Trump’s new tariff policy, announced as part of what he called "Liberation Day," imposed duties on nearly every major U.S. trading partner, including Ukraine.
Kyiv was hit with a 10% tariff, compared to 20% on the EU and 54% on China.
Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said that the Trump administration's latest tariffs are likely to be "difficult, but not critical" for Ukraine's economy.
The White House’s decision to exclude Russia from the tariff list comes amid growing signs of diplomatic and economic engagement between Washington and Moscow. »
