U.S President Donald Trump has indicated that he is willing to sanction Moscow under the condition that all Nato allies would submit to a full-scale boycott of Russian oil and apply their own sanctions. Another idea he further proposed to members of the transatlantic alliance was that they should contemplate the imposition of tariffs of 50 to 100 percent on the purchases of Russian petroleum by China as a measure to put an end to the war.
On his Truth Social platform on Saturday, he penned: “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.”
President Trump further states that the commitment of the alliance is the victory of the war. He also said, “has been far less than 100%” and branded the purchase of Russian oil by some Nato members as “shocking”.
President Trump further states, “If NATO does as I say, the war will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved! If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the United States.”
The Center of Research on Energy and Clean Air indicates that Turkey is the third major purchaser of Russian oil products, following China and India, and it is a Nato member. Hungary and Slovakia are other Nato members who buy Russian oil. Trump has also warned Russia on several occasions that he would impose other sanctions, yet he has never actually done it.
Another aspect that President Trump has brought to the table is the possibility of tariffs on China, which has become closer to Moscow, after a very high-profile meeting between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Beijing recently.
President Trump adds, “I believe that [NATO sanctions on Russia], plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% tariffs on China, to be fully withdrawn after the war with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ending this deadly, but ridiculous war.”
The President of the US has already imposed a 25 percent import tax on Indian goods in exchange for its purchase of Russian energy products, but has not yet imposed any additional tariffs on the same from China.
The post of President Trump increased concerns following several Russian drones entering Polish airspace on Wednesday, which had escalated the war, and NATO declared a new operation to strengthen its eastern flank.
