The absence of Russia on the president’s new list of countries that he’ll hit with steep tariffs did not go unnoticed on social media. Critics were quick to accuse Trump of kowtowing to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump has for years expressed his admiration of.

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, in an interview with ABC News, said that Russia was not included in the list of tariffs imposed by the US due to ongoing negotiations regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.

The president said he would not quickly reverse last week’s steep tariffs, which have sparked pushback and roiled markets.

Coordinated nationwide protests against the Trump administration drew large crowds. Business Insider was there. On a day where global markets were plunging, the president somehow thought a cryptic five-word all caps post on his Truth Social platform would ease minds.