Desk Report:
US President Donald Trump has said he is ready to impose new sanctions on Russia. However, the condition is that all NATO allies must completely stop buying oil from Russia and impose sanctions on Moscow themselves, so that the more than three-year war in Ukraine ends.
According to the Qatar-based news outlet Al-Jazeera, in a post shared on his own social media site Truth Social on Saturday, Trump wrote, “When all NATO countries start acting the same way and stop buying oil from Russia, then I am ready to impose major sanctions on Russia.”
He described the post as an open letter to all NATO countries and the world. Trump has proposed that NATO, as an alliance, impose 50 to 100 percent tariffs on China to weaken China’s economic influence over Russia.
Trump also wrote that NATO’s commitment to winning the war is “less than 100 percent.” In his words, some member countries are still buying Russian oil, which is “astonishing.” Addressing these countries, he said, “This seriously weakens the position and bargaining power you have in negotiations with Russia.”
NATO member Turkey is the third largest buyer of Russian oil. It is followed by China and India. Among the 32 NATO members, Hungary and Slovakia also buy Russian oil, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Trump wrote, “If NATO does as I say, the war will end quickly. If not, you are just wasting my time.”
Trump, who has struggled to fulfill his promise to end the war quickly, has repeatedly threatened to increase pressure on Russia. Last month, he imposed a 50 percent tariff on India to continue buying Russian oil. But he has not yet taken the same step against China. Trump’s post came at a time when Polish and NATO forces shot down a drone that entered Polish airspace during an attack on Russia’s largest air base.
