President Donald Trump on Saturday warned NATO allies that buying Russian oil weakens their negotiating position with Moscow and said he was prepared to impose "major Sanctions on Russia" only after allied governments stop purchasing Russian petroleum. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also proposed imposing 50 percent to 100 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, to be lifted after the Russia‑Ukraine war ends.
"I am 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 wrote, adding that continued purchases "greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia." He framed the tariff proposal to China as a tool to "break" Beijing's influence over Moscow and said the levies would be removed when the conflict concludes.
Trump asserted in the post that NATO's commitment to "WIN" has been "far less than 100%" and called some allies' purchases of Russian oil "shocking." He described the conflict as "not TRUMP'S WAR," writing that it "would never have started if I was President" and saying it is "Biden’s and Zelenskyy’s WAR." He also cited a figure he said represented weekly deaths in the conflict, writing, "7,118 lives lost last week, alone. CRAZY!"
The president linked his proposal to a broader foreign policy aim of quickly ending the war and saving lives, saying that if NATO follows his prescription "the WAR will end quickly." He urged allied attention to the matter in a closing line of the post: "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Trump has previously threatened or imposed tariffs tied to countries' purchases of Russian energy. Earlier this year, his administration imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, citing continued imports of Russian oil. The Truth Social post did not indicate whether any concrete steps toward the proposed China tariffs or additional sanctions on Moscow had been taken or would be pursued immediately.
The message came days after tensions rose in Europe when Russian drones reportedly bound for a NATO base used to supply Ukraine were shot down over Poland, an event that prompted concern among alliance members about the conflict spilling beyond Ukraine's borders.
Trump's tariff and sanction suggestions also followed displays of diplomatic unity among Moscow, Beijing and New Delhi at a recent Beijing parade marking 80 years since World War II. Trump has criticized that gathering, posting on Truth Social earlier this month to question Chinese leader Xi Jinping and to offer "warmest regards" to Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Kremlin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, responded to Trump's remarks by denying any collusion among the leaders and saying, "No one has been conspiring, no one has been plotting anything, no conspiracies." Ushakov added that "everyone understands the role played by the United States, the current administration of President Trump and President Trump personally in the current international situation."
White House or alliance officials did not immediately respond to the post with a formal comment. Trump's suggestions add to an ongoing debate within NATO and among U.S. policymakers over how to pressure Russia, deter further aggression and calibrate economic measures against Moscow without fracturing support among partners that rely on Russian energy supplies.