United States President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his willingness to escalate sanctions on Russia, but he insisted that such efforts would only be effective if Europe matches Washington’s intensity. Speaking to reporters while returning to the White House from Morristown, New Jersey, Trump criticized European countries for continuing to purchase Russian oil, arguing that such practices undermined collective efforts to penalize Moscow. “Europe is buying oil from Russia. I don’t want them to buy oil, and the sanctions that they’re putting on are not tough enough. I’m willing to do sanctions, but they’re going to have to toughen up their sanctions commensurate with what I’m doing,” he said.
Trump has long urged NATO allies to adopt harsher measures against Russia, particularly in the energy sector. On Saturday, he renewed that call, pressing European countries to stop buying Russian oil while floating the idea of imposing steep tariffs of 50 to 100 percent on China until the war in Ukraine comes to an end. According to Trump, Beijing’s economic influence over Moscow is one of the key reasons Russia has been able to withstand Western sanctions. By targeting China with heavy tariffs, he argued, the West could sever this link and weaken Russia’s war footing.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump laid out the broader strategy, stating: “I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% tariffs on China, to be fully withdrawn after the war with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ending this deadly, but ridiculous, war. China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break that grip.” His remarks highlight a dual-front strategy—pressuring both Russia and its key economic backers.
Washington has also broadened the scope of its appeal, urging the Group of Seven (G7) and the European Union (EU) to implement coordinated tariffs not only on Russian energy but also on countries buying Russian oil, with India and China singled out as significant enablers of Moscow’s wartime revenues. During a call with G7 finance ministers, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emphasized the need for a unified approach, warning that piecemeal sanctions would not be enough to cripple Russia’s ability to fund its war machine.
“Only with a unified effort that cuts off the revenues funding Putin’s war machine at the source will we be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end the senseless killing,” Bessent and Greer said in a joint statement after the meeting. They also stressed that applying tariffs beyond Russia and extending them to its oil buyers would serve as a critical deterrent.
Canada, which currently holds the G7 presidency, responded by underscoring the bloc’s unity in applying economic pressure on Moscow. Ottawa reiterated that G7 members remain committed not only to intensifying sanctions but also to supporting Ukraine’s long-term economic recovery. For now, however, significant differences remain between Washington’s aggressive tariff proposals and Europe’s more cautious approach, particularly given the continent’s reliance on Russian energy and the potential fallout of escalating tensions with China.
