In what amounted to a fortuitous opportunity for President Donald Trump to distance his beliefs from those of Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Russia-Ukraine War, Trump went off on Putin during a phone interview, which was aired by NBC News on Sunday.

While Trump critics have accused Trump of everything from siding with Putin against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the war to being little more than Putin's puppet, Trump came out of the gate in no uncertain terms during the interview, saying he was "very angry" and "p***** off," and telling NBC that Putin's comments are not "going in the right direction."

As Agence France-Presse reported on Friday, Putin is now calling for a Ukrainian transitional government to replace Zelensky.

ALSO READ: Escalation: Putin Vows to 'Finish Off' Ukrainian Troops Following Russia's Cease-Fire Violation

Trump told NBC:

If I feel, if we’re in the midst of a negotiation, you could say that I was very angry, p***** off, when Putin said yesterday that … you know, when Putin started getting into Zelenskyy’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location, you understand?

If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia. 

That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States. There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil — a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.

Strong words — albeit with a bit of hedging. Diplomacy? 

Here's the background:

Trump had made ending the war in Ukraine a top foreign policy promise on the campaign trail, leading to meetings between U.S., Ukrainian and Russian officials in the first few months of his second term. Last week, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a partial and limited ceasefire that would allow safe navigation in the Black Sea and halt attacks on each other’s energy facilities.

“There will be a 25% tariff on oil and other products sold in the United States, secondary tariffs,” Trump said, noting that the tariffs on Russia would come within a month without a ceasefire deal. Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but noted that he has “a very good relationship with him” and “the anger dissipates quickly ... if he does the right thing.”

While I'm not among those onboard Trump's "tariffs are the answer to everything" train, for multiple economic reasons, the more he stands up to Putin — if in fact he does — the better for all involved, including the Russian people.

And while Trump has said on more than one occasion that "Putin wants peace," the dictator has shown the world throughout his more than 20 years in power —and multiple examples — that invasion of his neighbors and the resultant conquest of strategic land and assets remain his ultimate goal.

Putin has also said he believes Ukraine should not exist as an independent state and that he wants NATO to shrink back to its Cold War-era size. And beyond that? Only Putin knows.

Trump told NBC that he and Putin plan to speak again this week.

Every single day, here at RedState, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.

Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its major wins. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.