Faith Nyasuguta
In a forceful weekend post on his social media platform, US President Donald Trump called on all 32 NATO member states to immediately stop buying Russian oil and to jointly impose tariffs of 50 to 100 percent on Chinese goods. Trump argued that NATO’s ongoing purchase of Russian energy while financing Ukraine’s defense “undercuts the alliance’s negotiating position with Moscow” and prolongs the conflict.
“Some NATO members are weakening our negotiating position,” he wrote, directly questioning the alliance’s commitment to “winning the war in Ukraine.” Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2023, Turkey has emerged as the third-largest buyer of Russian oil, with Hungary and Slovakia also still dependent on Moscow’s fuel exports despite Western sanctions pressure. Trump framed these purchases as a major obstacle to ending the war.
His post came just days after Russian drones strayed into Polish airspace and were shot down by NATO aircraft – an incident Trump downplayed as “possibly a mistake.” Critics point out that the president himself has been reluctant to apply heavy pressure on Moscow. Recent high-profile talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska failed to yield progress toward peace, and lawmakers in Washington are pushing Trump to endorse a bill that would toughen sanctions on Russia.
Trump’s message went beyond criticism to offer a concrete prescription. He said a NATO-wide ban on Russian oil combined with steep tariffs on China would be “a great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR.” According to Trump, Beijing holds “strong control over Russia” and powerful duties “will break that grip.” He added that the tariffs could be rolled back once the war ends, presenting them as a negotiating tool rather than a permanent trade war.
The US president has already imposed a 25 percent import tax on goods from India over its continued purchases of Russian energy. Now he wants NATO allies to go much further, targeting China collectively. On Friday, his trade and treasury chiefs joined a call with G7 finance ministers urging a “unified front” to choke off “the revenues funding Putin’s war machine,” according to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Trump also used his post to shift blame for the ongoing conflict. He accused his predecessor Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of bearing responsibility for the war – notably omitting Putin, who launched the invasion. The fiery statement underscores Trump’s bid to reshape NATO policy ahead of next year’s US election and to pressure allies over their energy and trade ties.
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