Donald Trump Urges NATO to Stop Buying Russian Oil, Threatens 50–100% Tariffs on China
Former US President Donald Trump has called on NATO allies to halt their purchases of Russian oil, criticizing their “shocking” levels of trade with Moscow.
New York: Former US President Donald Trump has called on NATO allies to halt their purchases of Russian oil, criticizing their “shocking” levels of trade with Moscow. He also threatened to impose punitive tariffs of 50 to 100 per cent on China if it continued supporting Russia.
Trump made the remarks on Truth Social on Saturday, highlighting what he described as NATO’s “far less than 100 per cent” commitment to winning the war in Ukraine.
“I am ready to do major sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” he wrote, emphasizing key points in capital letters.
He added that NATO members stopping Russian oil imports, coupled with tariffs on China, could help “end this deadly, but ridiculous, war.” Trump asserted that Beijing holds significant influence over Moscow and that strong tariffs would “break that grip.”
Trump previously imposed a 25 per cent punitive tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil, in addition to a 25 per cent reciprocal tariff. Other nations reportedly continued their energy trade with Moscow without facing similar sanctions.
Data shows the European Union, which includes 22 NATO members, had total trade with Russia valued at $79.1 billion last year, with $26.17 billion accounted for by fuel imports. NATO member Turkiye’s trade with Russia totaled $52.6 billion. In comparison, India’s trade with Russia reached $68.7 billion in the last fiscal year, with imports of $63.84 billion.
Trump’s envoy nominee to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, addressed questions on these double standards before a Senate panel, stating, “Frankly, we expect more from India than we do sometimes from other nations.”
In a Fox News interview on Friday, Trump acknowledged that the tariff on India “causes a rift” and admitted that it was “not an easy thing to do. That's a big deal.”
Despite tensions, trade discussions between the US and India continue. Gor confirmed that India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to visit Washington this week for meetings with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. He described the ongoing negotiations as being down to the “nitty-gritty.”
