President Donald Trump has called on NATO allies to stop buying Russian oil and back sweeping new sanctions and tariffs on Moscow and Beijing, arguing the measures would help quickly end Russia’s years-long war with Ukraine.
In a Truth Social post Saturday morning, Trump said he had written to all nations of the world that he is ready to impose "major sanctions" on Russia and new tariffs on China, but only when all NATO nations agree and begin taking the same steps.
"As you know, NATO’s commitment to win has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian oil, by some, has been shocking!" Trump wrote.
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"It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia. Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?"
Since 2023, NATO member Turkey has ranked as the third-largest buyer of Russian oil — behind only China and India — according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Other NATO members still purchasing Russian oil include Hungary and Slovakia.
Trump called on NATO to impose 50% to 100% tariffs on China, to be lifted once the Russia-Ukraine war ends.
He argued that sanctions and tariffs would break China’s grip over Russia, while adding that the war would never have started if he had been in office.
"Tariffs will break that grip. This is not Trump’s war (it would never have started if I was president!), it is Biden’s and Zelenskyy’s war," Trump wrote. "I am only here to help stop it, and save thousands of Russian and Ukrainian lives (7,118 lives lost last week alone. Crazy!)."
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"If NATO does as I say, the war will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved! If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy and money of the United States."
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. On the campaign trail, Trump said he would end the war swiftly, but has admitted he has found it more difficult than he initially thought.
Since returning to office, Trump has pressed to end the war, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy multiple times — including once at the Vatican — as well as with President Vladimir Putin in Russia.
NATO allies have been on high alert this week after nearly two dozen Russian drones entered Poland on Wednesday during a mass aerial attack on Ukraine, which Trump had suggested could have been a mistake, but which Poland and Ukraine have fervently rejected as any sort of accident.
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On Friday, Trump said he was "sort of" running out of patience with Putin "fast" after the Kremlin said negotiations with Ukraine were "on pause."
"But it does take two to tango," Trump said after host Brian Kilmeade pointed out that Zelenskyy has offered to meet with Putin a number of times.
"It’s amazing — when Putin wanted to do it, Zelenskyy didn’t. When Zelenskyy wanted to do it, Putin didn’t. Now Zelenskyy wants to, and Putin is the question mark."
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
