Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump on Monday renewed his attack on Europe’s energy ties with Moscow, urging the European Union to “stop buying oil from Russia” as the Ukraine war drags on.
“Zelensky’s gonna have to make a deal. And Europe has to stop buying oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters, reiterating his push for Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to negotiate directly with Vladimir Putin.
Trump criticised existing European sanctions as “not tough enough,” insisting they must match the scale of his own measures. “Europe is buying oil from Russia. I don’t want them to buy oil — and the sanctions they’re putting on are not tough enough,” he said.
The comments came after Trump imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India — plus an additional 25 per cent on Delhi’s Russian oil imports — a move New Delhi condemned as “unjustified and unreasonable.” India vowed to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
At the same time, Trump called on NATO allies to slap steep sanctions — between 50 and 100 per cent — on Beijing, accusing China of propping up Russia’s military capacity.
China, however, dismissed the charge. Foreign minister Wang Yi said Beijing “does not participate in or plan wars,” stressing that sanctions only “complicate” conflicts. He underscored China’s commitment to peace talks and deeper cooperation with Europe during a meeting with Slovenian counterpart Tanja Fajon.
