Washington: In a bold escalation of his strategy to isolate Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, US President Donald Trump has urged all 32 NATO member countries to immediately cease purchasing Russian oil and impose steep tariffs ranging from 50% to 100% on Chinese imports.
This appeal, posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, illustrates an important change, as Trump conditioned his readiness to enact major new sanctions on Moscow upon NATO’s unified action, aiming to sever Russia’s economic lifelines and hasten the war’s end.
Trump’s message comes after similar entreaties to the European Union and G7 nations, where he previously targeted both India and China for their Russian oil imports.
Notably, this time, he did not directly mention India, a potential avenue for reconciliation amid strained bilateral ties. The President has already hiked tariffs on Indian goods to 50%— an additional 25% on top of existing duties — to pressure New Delhi into halting discounted Russian crude purchases, which he claims fund Putin’s war machine.
Trump acknowledged last week that these measures “caused a rift” with India, but signals of reconciliation emerged, with invitations extended to India’s Commerce and Industry Minister for talks next week.
Discussions could cover removing the extra tariffs and resuming broader trade negotiations, as confirmed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The core of Trump’s ultimatum targets persistent Russian oil buyers within NATO, including Hungary, Slovakia, and Turkey — the third-largest NATO purchaser of Russian crude after non-members China and India. “NATO’s commitment to winning has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian oil by some has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position over Russia,” Trump wrote, adding, “I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when.” He argued that collective tariffs on China would “break that grip” Beijing holds over Moscow, especially after a recent Xi-Putin summit deepened their ties. Trump suggested that these duties could be rolled back after a resolution to the war.
This approach builds on G7 finance ministers’ recent discussions for a “unified front” against enablers of Russia’s aggression, including sanctions on suppliers of weapons components from China and Turkey. Beijing swiftly rebuked the proposal, with its foreign ministry asserting that China neither participates in nor plots wars. European officials, meanwhile, expressed reluctance for broad tariffs, citing their ongoing EU-India trade deal and a preference for targeted sanctions over trade wars.
Trump’s tactics underscore a high-stakes gamble: leveraging economic pressure on allies and adversaries to force a breakthrough in Ukraine.
With Russia unyielding in peace talks, the US push could reshape global energy flows and trade dynamics but risks alienating partners like India, where officials decry the tariffs as “unjustified”. As NATO deliberates, the world watches whether this collective burdenshare will materialise or fracture further.