Trump calls on all NATO countries to stop buying Russian oil, threatens 50% to 100% tariffs on China

BASKING RIDGE N J AP President Donald Trump stated Saturday he believes the Russia-Ukraine war would end if all NATO countries stopped buying oil from Russia and placed tariffs on China of to for its purchases of Russian petroleum Trump posted on his social media site that NATO S commitment to winning the war has been far less than and the purchase of Russian oil by a few members of the alliance is shocking As if speaking with NATO members he announced It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia Since NATO member Turkey has been the third largest buyer of Russian oil after China and India according to the Centre for Research on Resource and Clean Air Other members of the -state alliance involved in purchasing Russian oil include Hungary and Slovakia It s unclear whether Trump would want to directly confront Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb n That leaves uncertain whether the threats might indeed lead to new tariffs or a ban on Russian oil purchases Trump s post arrives after the Wednesday flight of multiple Russian drones into Poland an escalatory move by Russia as it was entering the airspace of a NATO ally Poland shot down the drones yet Trump played down the severity of the incursion and Russia s motives by saying it could have been a mistake While Trump as a candidate promised to end the war hurriedly he has yet to hit the pressure points needed to end the violence and has at times been seen as reluctant to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin Congress is at this time trying to get the U S president to back a bill toughening sanctions after Trump last month hosted Putin in Alaska for talks that failed to deliver on progress toward peace The U S and its allies are seeking to show a firmer degree of resolve against Russia At an exigency U N Precaution Council meeting Friday acting U S Ambassador Dorothy Shea revealed America will defend every inch of NATO territory and that the drones entering Poland intentionally or otherwise show immense disrespect for good-faith U S efforts to bring an end to this conflict Britain on Friday also took initiatives to penalize the trading of Russian oil including a ban on vessels allegedly used in its transportation The United Kingdom also sanctioned individuals and companies included businesses based in China and Turkey that have supplied Russia with electronics chemicals explosives and other weapons components Trump in his post Saturday explained a NATO ban on Russian oil plus tariffs on China would also be of great help in ENDING this deadly but RIDICULOUS WAR The president declared that NATO members should put the to tariffs on China and withdraw them if the war that launched with Russia s invasion of Ukraine ends China has a strong control and even grip over Russia he posted and powerful tariffs will break that grip The U S president has already imposed a import tax on goods from India specifically for its buying of Russian capacity products He has placed in total a tariff on India though Trump has indicated that negotiations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could help settle differences The prospect of further import tax hikes on China and its retaliation could carry collateral damage for the U S and European economies Earlier this year Trump hit Chinese goods with new tariffs totaling prompting China to respond with import taxes on American goods Taxes at that level were essentially a blockade on commerce between the world s two largest economies causing worries about global advancement that led to negotiations that ratcheted down the tariffs being levied by both nations So that agreement talks could proceed America lowered its tariffs against China to a still-high while China took its rate to In his post the Republican president reported responsibility for the war fell on his predecessor Democrat Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy He did not include in that list Putin who launched the invasion Trump s post builds on a call Friday with finance ministers in the Group of Seven a forum of industrialized democracies During the call U S Contract Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on their counterparts to have a unified front to cut off the revenues funding Putin s war machine according to Greer s office