WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced he is prepared to impose major sanctions on Russia but only under specific conditions involving NATO allies.
Trump demanded that all NATO nations must first agree to completely halt purchases of Russian oil and implement their own sanctions against Moscow.
He also suggested that NATO members consider imposing tariffs of 50% to 100% on China as a strategy to help end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“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 stated in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The president described his message as an official letter addressed to all NATO nations and the international community.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions, including last weekend following Moscow’s largest-ever aerial attack on Ukraine.
He has so far failed to implement these sanctions, causing frustration in Kyiv.
The president recently met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last month.
Trump branded NATO nations’ continued purchase of Russian oil as “shocking” and claimed it weakens their bargaining power over Moscow.
“Anyway, I am ready to ‘go’ when you are. Just say when?” he added in his social media post.
Trump also raised the prospect of NATO imposing significant tariffs on China, which has strengthened strategic cooperation with Moscow.
China recently hosted a high-profile summit with Putin in Beijing, deepening their partnership.
“I believe that (NATO sanctions on Russia), plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR,“ Trump stated.
He asserted that China maintains strong control over Russia and that these powerful tariffs would break that grip.
If the 32-member alliance follows his directives, Trump claimed the war would end quickly.
“If not, you are just wasting my time,“ he concluded in his message. – AFP
