US President Donald Trump said he was "ready to do major sanctions on Russia" but tied such measures to a condition: Nato members must agree and begin stopping purchases of Russian oil.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump urged Nato nations to act in concert, writing, "I am ready to 'go' when you are. Just say when?" He called purchases of Russian oil "shocking" and suggested that imposing tariffs of "50 to 100%" on China would weaken Beijing's "strong control" over Moscow.
Trump has repeatedly threatened tougher measures against Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine but has not previously followed through on such threats when deadlines passed. He made a similar comment earlier this month when asked whether he was prepared to move to a "second phase" of punishment against the Kremlin, saying, "Yeah, I am," without providing details.
European reliance on Russian energy has fallen sharply since the 2022 invasion. The EU sourced about 45% of its gas from Russia in 2022; that share is expected to fall to about 13% this year. Still, some analysts and leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, have urged an immediate end to purchases of Russian oil and gas. Zelensky told ABC News that Europe must stop buying any kind of energy from Russia and cease other deals that could fund Moscow's war effort.
Think-tank estimates indicate European states have spent roughly €210 billion on Russian oil and gas since 2022, funds that critics say have indirectly supported the Kremlin's military campaign. The European Union has pledged to phase out Russian energy purchases by 2028, a timeline the United States has urged to accelerate in part by offering alternative supplies.
Trump's message was directed at Nato, which includes non-EU members such as Turkey, a significant buyer of Russian oil that has maintained closer ties to Moscow than many alliance partners. Persuading Ankara to sever Russian energy imports could prove difficult, diplomats and analysts say, given Turkey's economic and strategic considerations.
The comments come amid heightened tensions between Nato allies and Russia. Earlier this week more than a dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace; Warsaw termed the incursion deliberate while Moscow said it had "no plans to target" facilities in Poland. Denmark, France and Germany have joined a new Nato mission to bolster the alliance's eastern flank and said they would move military assets eastward.
Trump also proposed combining an energy embargo with steep tariffs on China and suggested that such measures could be lifted after the war to help end the conflict. His reference to trade penalties drew comparison to previous US tariff policy: Washington has in the past imposed high duties on certain countries, and historical measures have at times included penalties tied to transactions involving third parties seen as supporting Russia.
The president's call for coordinated Nato action underscores the diplomatic and logistical challenges of reducing Western purchases of Russian energy while maintaining alliance cohesion. Any move to impose broad, alliance-wide sanctions or tariffs would require agreement among Nato members, each of which weighs security, economic and political considerations.
Administration officials have not outlined a concrete plan or timeline for the coordinated sanctions Trump described, and some Nato members have already diversified energy supplies to reduce dependence on Russia. How individual capitals respond to Trump's public appeal and whether it will prompt formal Nato discussions or policy changes remains to be seen.