Washington — U.S. President Donald Trump has urged the European Union to join Washington in imposing tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from India and China, targeting the two countries’ continued purchases of Russian crude oil. The move, revealed in a report by the Financial Times, underscores Trump’s growing frustration with both the war in Ukraine and the limited impact of existing Western sanctions on Moscow’s revenues.
Trump reportedly phoned into a high-level meeting of U.S. and EU officials in Washington this week, pressing for “dramatic tariffs” to remain in place until Beijing and New Delhi stop buying Russian oil. “We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” one U.S. official told the FT.
The White House is said to be preparing to “mirror” any EU tariffs, which could lead to an exponential increase in duties on imports from both India and China. The U.S. already has tariffs of 50 percent on Indian goods and 30 percent on Chinese products, and the new plan would more than double those penalties if Europe agrees.
Trump has repeatedly argued that choking off Russian oil revenues is the only way to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. His latest tariff threat came just days after Moscow launched its largest-ever aerial assault on Ukraine, prompting Trump to vow new sanctions.
Despite this hardline stance, the president’s approach has been marked by contradictions. While threatening India with secondary sanctions over its Russian oil purchases, he has also spoken warmly about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “a very good friend.” On Tuesday, Trump said he expected U.S.-India trade talks to have a “successful conclusion” soon.
China, meanwhile, has not yet faced direct U.S. penalties for its oil trade with Russia, although Trump sharply raised tariffs on Chinese goods in April before partially rolling them back in May after markets recoiled.
The tariff push comes in the wake of last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where Modi met with both Xi Jinping and Putin. That meeting, U.S. officials worry, could complicate Western efforts to present a united economic front against Moscow.
Trump has long claimed he could broker peace between Russia and Ukraine “within hours” of taking office, but with no breakthrough in sight, his administration appears to be doubling down on punitive trade measures to try to isolate Moscow — even if it risks sparking a tariff war with two of the world’s largest economies.