The United States is prepared to impose a “very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed” if Russia is not ready to make a deal to end its war with Ukraine, but European nations will need to join the effort for it to be effective, President Donald Trump said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil,” Trump said in his remarks, adding that “inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products.”
Trump added that he “wasn’t happy” when he learned about the alliance’s purchases.
“Think of it,” he said. “They’re funding the war against themselves. Who the hell ever heard of that one?”
But for the tariffs to work, Europe will have to join in adopting the same measures, Trump said.
“I mean, you’re much closer to this,” he said. “We have an ocean in between. You’re right there. Europe has to step it up.”
At the same time, the European nations can’t be “buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia,” Trump said. “That they have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia, otherwise we’re all wasting a lot of time.”
He added that U.S. officials will discuss tariffs with all European nations gathered at the U.N.
“I’m sure they’re thrilled to hear me speak about it, but that’s the way it is,” he said. “I like to speak my mind and speak the truth.”
Trump’s comments at the United Nations came after his weekend call for European nations to stop buying oil from Russia and after similar criticism following his meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week.
He told Starmer that he’s prepared to escalate economic measures against Moscow “but not when the people that I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia.”
Most European nations halted direct Russian oil imports after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but limited flows remain to Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline, Bloomberg reported.
The EU has adopted measures to end imports of petroleum products refined from Russian crude starting next year and is considering restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas by 2027.
According to the European Commission, Russian supplies now account for just 3% of EU crude imports, down sharply from about 27% before the war.
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