U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated calls for tougher measures against Russia by urging European Union leaders to impose tariffs as high as 100% on Chinese and Indian imports, specifically targeting their continued purchases of Russian oil.
The move is designed to ramp up economic pressure on Moscow and force progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, according to sources familiar with private discussions reported by the Financial Times.
These calls emerged during a high-level meeting in Washington, where Trump, alongside U.S. and EU officials, floated the idea that Brussels should levy punitive tariffs on Beijing and New Delhi to discourage their trade ties with Russia. The U.S. reportedly indicated its willingness to replicate any tariffs imposed by its transatlantic partners.
Earlier this year, the U.S. doubled down on its trade strategy by slapping a 25% tariff on Indian imports, citing the nation’s substantial Russian oil purchases. This raised overall duties on Indian goods to 50%. New Delhi, rejecting Washington’s justification, described the measures as excessive and inequitable, further noting the EU and U.S. have also maintained commercial relations with Moscow.
Trump’s proposal surfaced shortly after a summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month failed to yield any major breakthroughs toward a ceasefire in Ukraine. Following talks, Putin reiterated that any durable peace depends on resolving fundamental disputes underlying the conflict.
With Washington’s diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities at an impasse, Russia appears to be reinforcing alliances elsewhere. Last week, Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Beijing—showcasing Moscow’s deepening cooperation with non-Western partners.
