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President Donald Trump doubled down on his demand that European nations stop all vitality purchases from Russia as he mulls his first sanctions on Moscow since re-entering workplace amid its struggle in Ukraine.
Talking to reporters Sunday night, Trump mentioned European nations, particularly these in NATO, are usually not doing sufficient to counter Russia, regardless of the brand new spherical of sanctions enacted by the EU final week.
“They don’t seem to be doing the job. NATO has to get collectively. Europe has to get collectively,” Trump mentioned. “Europe… they’re my associates, however they’re shopping for oil from Russia, so we won’t be anticipated to be the one ones which are, you already know, full bore.”
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters earlier than boarding Air Power One at Morristown Airport in New Jersey on Sept. 14, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures)
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“Europe is shopping for oil from Russia. I do not need them to purchase oil,” he continued, noting that the sanctions Europe has issued on Russia and Russian officers “are usually not powerful sufficient.”
“I am prepared to do sanctions, however they will need to toughen up their sanctions commensurate with what I am doing,” Trump confirmed.
Whereas European nations have drastically minimize their reliance on Moscow’s oil following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, they haven’t minimize it off fully – notably nations like Hungary, Slovakia, France, Belgium and Spain, that are Europe’s prime importers of Russian vitality.
Hungary – whose president remains friendly with Putin regardless of being a NATO nation – is Europe’s chief importer of Russian crude oil and pipeline fuel, buying greater than double every other European nation’s Russian vitality imports.
France, which is the second-largest European purchaser of Russian vitality, continues to import liquefied pure fuel (LNG), which has largely bypassed EU sanctions, partly on account of long-standing legally binding commitments.
These agreements imply Paris has dedicated to “take-or-pay” contracts via the early 2030s or would face arbitration or penalties. Reporting suggests, nevertheless, that the LNG imports are usually not solely slated for French consumption, however are additionally being handed on to third-party nations like Germany.
Fireplace on the oil base in Proletarsk, Rostov area in Russia, following two drone assaults on Aug. 18, 2024. (Photograph supplied by East2West)
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Final month, the EU’s Knowledge Safety Authority confirmed that the bloc had imported almost $5.2 billion worth of Russian LNG within the first half of 2025.
Trump’s feedback got here simply in the future after he despatched a letter to NATO that mentioned he’s “able to do main sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and began, to do the identical factor, and when all NATO nations cease shopping for oil from Russia,” in accordance with a submit he made on Reality Social.
However when requested on Sunday about his plans to hit Russia with further U.S. sanctions – which haven’t been expanded for the reason that Biden administration – he advised Europe would possibly must stop all LNG imports as properly.
The president claimed that each one Russian imports are alleged to be barred at the moment and mentioned, “The deal is, they don’t seem to be supposed – whether or not it is pure fuel or whether or not it is cigarettes, I do not care – they don’t seem to be alleged to be shopping for from Russia.”
The president didn’t develop on which deal he was referring to, and he didn’t touch upon the U.S.’s $2.1 billion worth of Russian imports it has bought within the first 5 months of 2025, largely consisting of enriched uranium, palladium and fertilizers.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press convention at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Jae C. Hong)
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As well as, he referred to as on NATO allies to hit China with “50% to 100% tariffs” that he mentioned could be withdrawn solely after the struggle in Ukraine concluded – a price which is at present larger than the 30% tariffs Washington has slapped on Beijing, although which may considerably develop given Trump’s latest threats to hit China with tariffs as high as 200%.
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s questions concerning this reporting.
