Trump prepared to impose sanctions on Russia if NATO members stop buying its oil
US president Donald Trump said on Saturday he is "ready" to impose "major sanctions" on Russia if all NATO countries agree to stop buying Russian oil.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: "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."
The US president added he was prepared to act immediately once NATO members reached consensus. "I am ready to 'go' when you are. Just say when?"
Reaching such an agreement will be difficult. Turkey is the world’s third-largest importer of Russian oil, after China and India. Even some EU member states, including Hungary and Slovakia, still rely on oil from Russia.
Tariffs on China
Trump also suggested the possibility of NATO members imposing trade tariffs up to 100 per cent on China. Those would be lifted once the war in Ukraine ends. He argued that "China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip."
His comments come after a recent high-profile summit between Chinese president Xi Jinping, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin. While Trump has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, China has so far been spared.
US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin at the Alaska summit in August. PHOTO © Gavriil GRIGOROV / POOL / AFP
Related news
