Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a fresh appeal to NATO nations and the European Union, urging them to adopt sweeping sanctions against Russia and impose tariffs of 50% to 100% on China until the Russia-Ukraine war concludes.
In a letter posted on Truth Social, Trump accused NATO members of showing weak commitment to the conflict and criticised some European nations for continuing to buy Russian oil. “The purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia,” Trump wrote.
He said he is prepared to implement “major sanctions” on Russia only if all NATO nations agree to take similar action and fully halt Russian oil imports. Trump also proposed tariffs on China, to be withdrawn only once the war ends. “China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break that grip,” he said.
The President argued that his plan would accelerate the end of what he called a “deadly, but ridiculous war,” which he blamed on President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump claimed that if NATO follows his strategy, the conflict could end quickly, saving thousands of lives.
“This is not Trump’s war—it would never have started if I was President. It is Biden’s and Zelenskyy’s war,” he asserted, while stressing that the U.S. should not waste “time, energy, and money” unless allies match its efforts.
Trump’s statement comes amid ongoing tensions within NATO over military support for Ukraine and disagreements on energy dependence, highlighting how his approach ties China directly to the resolution of the conflict.
