US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged European Union (EU) officials to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China and India, in an effort to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a US official and EU diplomat, the request was made during a conference call with EU sanctions envoy David O'Sullivan and the EU delegation in Washington.
Trump argued that China and India are the largest buyers of Russian oil, thus directly contributing to the survival of Moscow's economy, which has continued to fund the invasion of Ukraine since 2022. He stressed that the US is ready to join the tariff measures if the EU joins.
The proposal has the potential to change the EU's strategy, which has previously emphasized diplomatic and financial sanctions rather than imposing tariffs. However, Beijing has strongly rejected the US action, describing the economic pressure as illegitimate and refusing to engage in talks on Russia.
Trump, who has often threatened tariffs on India and China, previously raised Indian tariffs by 25 percentage points last summer because of its ties to the Kremlin. However, tougher measures have yet to be implemented.
In a different tone, Trump later said the US and India were working to reduce trade barriers, and even expressed a desire to strengthen economic ties with New Delhi. He added that further talks would be held with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
