Former U.S. President Donald Trump has shifted responsibility onto NATO allies, demanding that they stop purchasing oil from Russia before he proceeds with broader sanctions. He posted on his platform that he’s willing to impose major sanctions on both Russia and China—provided that all NATO countries first cease buying Russian oil.
In his message, Trump criticized NATO’s wavering commitment and said that some member nations purchasing oil from Russia was “shocking.” He proposed that alongside stopping oil imports, NATO should impose heavy tariffs—between 50% to 100%—on China, with the tariffs being lifted only “after the war with Russia and Ukraine ends.” He claimed these moves would help weaken Russia’s ties with China and fast-track an end to the conflict, ultimately saving lives.
He challenged NATO members directly, writing “I am ready to ‘go’ when you are—just say when?” suggesting that the U.S. would act once there was unified action among its allies. The announcement notably left out India, signaling a possible shift in how Trump views India’s role in global energy politics.
Earlier in the week, Trump had pushed for the European Union and G7 countries to consider steep tariffs on India and China due to continued purchases of Russian oil. However, his latest stance appears to focus more on demanding collective action from NATO instead of singling out individual countries outside that alliance.
The U.S. has been critical of countries buying Russian energy, arguing that such trade underwrites Russia’s military efforts. Critics, meanwhile, argue that U.S. policy has been inconsistent: while calling for sanctions, the U.S. itself continues to import goods—such as fertilizers, metals, and energy—some of which originate in or are linked to Russia. The debate has intensified over how realistic it is for NATO countries to fully cut off Russian oil, given energy dependencies, contractual obligations, and the complexity of global energy markets.
There are also signals that the U.S. and India may be working toward a separate trade arrangement, partly due to friction caused by earlier tariff proposals. For instance, in a recent move, India’s Adani Group declared it would bar docking of vessels that are sanctioned by the U.S., EU, or UK—potentially affecting Russia-linked oil shipments.
Trump insists that with unified action from NATO, these measures could bring the war to a faster end. Without such cooperation, he warned, the U.S. would see its time, resources, and efforts wasted.