By Joyce Nzomo
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on NATO member states to stop purchasing Russian oil and to coordinate sweeping sanctions aimed at ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
In a letter sent to NATO nations on Saturday, Trump urged collective action, warning that sanctions would only be effective if all allies moved together. “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,” the president wrote in a social media post.
The appeal marks Trump’s latest attempt to pressure allies into aligning with Washington’s harder stance on Moscow. He proposed that NATO, acting as a bloc, impose tariffs of between 50% and 100% on China in a bid to weaken Beijing’s economic support for Russia.
The move follows earlier threats by Trump to sanction countries continuing to buy Russian oil. China and India remain the largest purchasers of Russian crude despite the ongoing conflict.
Last month, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s reliance on Russian energy imports. However, he has yet to announce comparable measures against Beijing.
The call for collective sanctions underscores Trump’s strategy of leveraging NATO unity to exert maximum pressure on Moscow while simultaneously seeking to curb China’s economic influence.
Whether member states will comply with the proposed energy ban remains uncertain, as many European nations continue to rely on Russian oil supplies despite efforts to diversify.
Trump’s statement comes amid heightened diplomatic maneuvering over the war in Ukraine, with Western leaders divided over the pace and scope of sanctions against Russia and its allies.
