Trump urges NATO members to stop buying Russian oil, threatens 50‑100 pc tariffs on China

New York: After having singled out India for punitive tariffs, US President Donald Trump has finally taken his NATO allies to task for “shocking” purchases of Russian oil and said he would impose 50 per cent to 100 per cent tariffs on China if they stopped buying from Moscow.

“NATO’S commitment to WIN (the Ukraine war) has been far less than 100 per cent, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking”, he posted on Truth Social on Saturday.

Trump imposed a 25 per cent punitive tariff on India for buying Russian oil, in addition to the 25 per cent reciprocal tariff, while others purchasing oil and gas from Moscow have been given a free pass.

“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”, he said, putting some words in all capitals for emphasis.

He said that NATO members stopping Russian oil purchases and “NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR”.

Challenging the military alliance, he wrote, “I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when”.

He pointed out that Beijing wields enormous influence over Moscow and has the power to stop the war.

“China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip”, he said.

In reality, Trump’s warning of a massive punitive tariff on China is an empty threat because NATO countries, especially Turkiye, are very unlikely to stop their Russia trade.

The European Union (EU), whose 27 members include 22 from NATO, had total goods trade with Russia of $79.1 billion last year, according to the European Commission.

It imported goods worth $42.13 billion, of which fuel accounted for $26.17 billion last year.

NATO member Turkiye’s trade with Russia was worth $52.6 billion last year.

In contrast, India’s total goods trade with Russia was $68.7 billion in the last fiscal year, with imports at $63.84 billion.

Asked about the double standards when it came to imposing punitive tariffs on India, Trump’s nominee for envoy to New Delhi, Sergio Gor, gave a Senate panel a confounding answer: “Frankly, we expect more from India than we do sometimes from other nations”.

Trump admitted on Friday in a Fox News interview that the tariff “causes a rift with India”.

He said that imposing the tariff on India was “not an easy thing to do. That’s a big deal”.

India and the US are continuing trade talks, Trump said earlier this month.

Gor said that India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal was expected in Washington this week and will meet with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Negotiations between the two countries were down to the “nitty-gritty”, he said.

IANS