U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he is ready to impose even tougher sanctions on Russia. However, he stressed that NATO member countries must first halt their purchase of Russian oil.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote that if NATO countries take the same step and stop buying Russian oil, he would implement major sanctions. He had previously threatened strong measures against Moscow, but as Russia ignored those warnings, no concrete action has yet been taken.
Trump described the purchase of Russian oil as “unbelievable” and suggested that if NATO countries imposed tariffs of 50–100 percent on Chinese goods, China’s influence over Russia would weaken. Addressing NATO, he said, “I am ready—when are you ready? Some countries buying Russian oil is truly astonishing. By doing so, you are losing leverage and negotiating power with Russia.”
According to Trump, stopping the purchase of Russian energy and imposing high tariffs on China would help bring a quicker resolution to the Ukraine–Russia conflict. Since the war in Ukraine began, Europe’s dependence on Russian energy has significantly decreased; in 2022, nearly 45 percent of its gas came from Russia, which is expected to drop to around 13 percent this year.
Trump’s remarks come amid heightened NATO–Russia tensions. On Wednesday, a dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace, which Poland claims was intentional. Denmark, France, and Germany have joined new missions to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank, and military equipment is being deployed eastward.
Source: BBC