President Donald Trump issued a blistering public rebuke of NATO allies on Saturday, saying he would support "major Sanctions on Russia" only after allied governments stopped buying oil from Moscow and signaling he could impose sweeping tariffs on China to help end the war in Ukraine.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said purchases of Russian oil by some NATO members "greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia," and warned allies that continued imports were "wasting my time." He urged coordinated action by NATO, writing that he was ready to enact broad 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 also proposed a plan to impose tariffs of "50 percent to 100 percent" on China, saying the duties would be lifted after the war between Russia and Ukraine ended. "China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip," he wrote. The post followed heightened tensions in Europe after reports that Russian drones headed toward a NATO base supplying Ukraine were shot down over Polish airspace.
The president framed his actions as an effort to hasten an end to the conflict, asserting that if NATO followed his prescription "the WAR will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved!" He added, "this is not TRUMP'S WAR. (It would never have started if I was President!). It is Biden’s and Zelenskyy’s WAR. I am only here to help stop it, and save thousands of Russian and Ukrainian lives (7,118 lives lost last week, alone. CRAZY!)."
Administration officials have not announced formal policy changes tied to the statements. Trump has previously threatened additional sanctions on Moscow and in recent months imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil. He has not enacted the kind of wide-ranging tariffs on China he described in the Truth Social post.
The president's comments came after a summit in Beijing earlier this month where Chinese leader Xi Jinping presided over a military parade attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump criticized that gathering on Truth Social, writing that the leaders were "conspiring against The United States of America" and asked Xi to extend "my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America."
The Kremlin responded to Trump's remarks through presidential foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who said no "conspiring" was taking place and dismissed the suggestion that the three leaders plotted against the United States. "I can say 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," Ushakov added.
The proposal to condition further sanctions on allied energy purchases echoes long-standing debates within NATO about member states' exposure to Russian energy, and it raises questions about alliance coordination at a time of sustained Western support for Ukraine. Any U.S. move to impose tariffs of the magnitude Trump described would carry significant economic and diplomatic implications and would require coordination across government agencies and with trading partners.
Trump's appeal to allies to halt Russian oil imports comes as Western governments continue to weigh measures that would tighten Moscow's access to revenue streams that could finance its military operations in Ukraine. NATO members vary in their dependence on Russian energy, and some European governments have sought alternative supplies and measures to mitigate the economic impact of cuts to Russian imports.
There was no immediate comment from NATO headquarters on Trump's post. Several allied governments have previously declared sanctions and energy diversification policies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while others have faced domestic and logistical challenges in fully severing energy ties with Moscow.
Trump's remarks illustrate an ongoing effort by his administration to recalibrate trade and foreign policy tools in pursuit of strategic objectives in the Russia-Ukraine war, while also underscoring tensions that can arise when a U.S. leader publicly challenges allies' economic choices during an international crisis.