US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian energy are nothing short of laughable, at least according to former US National Security Advisor John Bolton. The statement, striking in its bluntness, underscores the skepticism surrounding Washington’s latest geopolitical gambit. Bolton also dismissed the potential imposition of tariffs on Russian exports to the US as irrelevant to global trade.

Last week, Trump announced that the United States would impose 100% tariffs on Russian goods and enact secondary sanctions on nations importing Russian oil unless Moscow and Kyiv reach a ceasefire agreement within 50 days.

"Washington's threats about what happens after 50 days are nearly meaningless," Bolton said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "Tariffing Russian exports to the US means next to nothing—in 2024, Russian exports were only $3 billion. Threatening secondary sanctions against Russian oil-and-gas importers such as China and India is risible, as market reactions since Mr. Trump’s pronouncement have indicated."

Bolton believes that once the 50-day deadline passes, the president will "find reasons to do nothing against Russia, washing his hands of the whole affair."

Earlier, The Economist reported that international investors are also skeptical of Trump’s threats to implement secondary sanctions on Russia. They estimate that the market’s muted reaction reflects widespread doubt about the president’s resolve, particularly since penalizing Russian energy exports could boost domestic fuel prices in the US, running counter to Trump’s campaign pledge to bring inflation down.