President Donald Trump on Sunday demanded that NATO allies halt purchases of Russian energy before the United States imposes new sanctions on Moscow, saying European nations were not doing enough to punish Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to impose "major sanctions on Russia" but insisted they must be coordinated with allies who also must stop buying oil and natural gas from Moscow. The president reiterated a message he had posted on Truth Social the previous day in a letter to NATO that said he was "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."
Trump criticized what he called insufficient European sanctions and complained that several U.S. allies continued to import Russian energy. "They're not doing the job. NATO has to get together. Europe has to get together," he said, adding that he did not want European countries "to buy oil" from Russia. He also said that the sanctions Europe has issued were "not tough enough" and that any U.S. measures would be tied to tougher allied steps.
European nations sharply reduced their dependence on Russian fuels after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but some have continued limited purchases. Hungary, a NATO member whose leadership has maintained friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, remains Europe's largest importer of Russian crude and pipeline gas, purchasing more than double the Russian energy of other European nations. Other notable importers include Slovakia, France, Belgium and Spain. France has continued to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) under long-term "take-or-pay" contracts that analysts say extend into the early 2030s.
The European Union agency that tracks such flows said the bloc imported nearly $5.2 billion worth of Russian LNG in the first half of 2025. Trump, when pressed Sunday, suggested that Europe might need to stop all LNG imports as well and said generally that Russian imports of any kind should be barred. He did not elaborate on the legal or diplomatic mechanism he had in mind and did not identify the specific "deal" he said banned such purchases.
U.S. trade data show that the United States itself purchased about $2.1 billion in goods from Russia in the first five months of 2025, largely enriched uranium, palladium and fertilizers. U.S. sanctions on Russia have not been significantly expanded since the Biden administration, and the president has not yet announced a new package.
Trump also called on NATO to impose tariffs on China of "50% to 100%" that he said would be removed after the war in Ukraine concluded. That rate would exceed the roughly 30% tariffs that Washington has announced previously and follows recent threats by Trump to levy tariffs as high as 200% on Chinese goods, a move that would require action by Congress or other executive authorities depending on the mechanism used.
When asked for comment, the White House did not immediately respond to a request from Fox News Digital. Trump, who returned to the White House in January after winning the 2024 election, has held talks with Putin since re-taking office, and his broader approach to Russia and to alliance coordination remains under scrutiny in Washington and among U.S. partners.
The president's demand adds pressure to NATO and EU capitals weighing how far to tighten trade and energy ties with Moscow without causing economic hardship at home. Legal commitments, energy contracts and differing national economic needs have complicated efforts to completely sever energy links with Russia, even as allies continue to supply Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance.
Trump's statements come amid continued debate in Europe about balancing energy security, legal obligations under existing contracts, and the political will to escalate measures against Russia. Any coordinated transatlantic sanctions strategy would require diplomatic negotiation and, in many cases, changes to long-term procurement and contractual arrangements that several governments say are difficult to unwind quickly.