You Mess with the Don, You Get the Tariffs

Peter Zeihan 6 min

Secondary tariffs on crude oil buyers could force China out of the electronics supply chain. We are definitely moving into a deglobalized world and need different tools than we have used for eighty years.

  • Donald Trump
  • Vladimir Putin

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Trump's Anger and Negotiating Style

    The speaker explains that Trump is angry because Russia refuses a ceasefire, noting his team lacks competence to relay bad news.

  2. 2:07

    Russia's Unwavering War Goals

    The speaker states that Russia will not stop fighting until it secures Ukraine and several other nations as territory. The speaker describes a new tool where anyone buying Russian crude faces heavy tariffs on all goods entering the United States. The speaker warns that China could face over 100% tariffs because it supplies the technical equipment Russia needs for the war.

  3. 5:24

    Long-Term Manufacturing Disruption

    The speaker claims that rebuilding electronics manufacturing outside China will take at least seven years even with North American help. The speaker predicts a grand scale impact on inflation as the world moves into a deglobalized state with new trade tools.

Key points

  • 0:24

    Donald Trump is angry because Russia refuses a ceasefire.

  • 2:07

    Russia will not stop fighting until it secures Ukraine and several other nations as territory.

  • 2:07

    Anyone buying Russian crude faces a 25 to 50 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States.

  • 2:07

    China could face over 100% tariffs because it supplies the technical equipment Russia needs for the war.

  • 5:24

    Rebuilding electronics manufacturing outside China will take at least seven years even with North American help.

  • 5:24

    The world is moving into a deglobalized state requiring new trade tools.

  • 5:24

    Secondary tariffs are a potentially effective tool for stopping Russian crude exports.

  • 0:24

    Trump's team lacks competence to relay bad news about the negotiations.

Who and where

People · 2

  • Drawing of Donald Trump

    Donald Trump 11

    President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)

    Photo 1

  • Drawing of Vladimir Putin

    Vladimir Putin 1

    President of the Russian Federation

    Photo 2

1. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Donald Trump)

2. Photo: Пресс-служба Президента России, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Vladimir Putin)

5:18

Bonus Video - Russia: Trump Pulls the Trigger

Peter Zeihan

Trump's current sanctions are insufficient to change Russia's view because they lack the scale and administrative capacity needed for a total embargo. The Trump administration faces significant challenges in building the government structures required to enforce effective secondary sanctions.

8:24

What Happens After Trump and Putin Split?

Peter Zeihan

Donald Trump must either dedicate his entire presidency to the Ukraine issue or rebuild a competent government staff to avoid disastrous national security decisions. The current administration's lack of competent staff and reliance on uninformed advisors prevents effective policy implementation.

+1
10:25

Trump and Putin Split, Ukraine Gets Aid Again

Peter Zeihan

Trump's potential overreaction could trigger erratic military and economic policies that cause long-term problems. These actions will fall under the category of things that you wish for don't always go the way that you were hoping.

4:55

Why I'm Okay with Some of the Secondary Tariffs

Peter Zeihan

Globalization is gone. It's not coming back.

4:49

Tariff Day Is Here, Again!

Peter Zeihan

The current tariff strategy creates an impossible environment where even the most compliant nations cannot secure deals due to a lack of negotiation staff and shifting deadlines. Business investment has collapsed to levels not seen since COVID because no one knows what the rules are or how to prepare for the next move.

AI-generated summary · model qwen3.5:9b-12k · prompt version whole-3.window-7.combine-10.s-f4be8e · video id FCe7xOTEv7Y · Watch on YouTube