President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to NATO allies in a letter Saturday, saying the US will concern “main” sanctions on Russia solely when they comply with do the identical and cease shopping for oil from Russia.
Assembly Trump’s calls for would mark a serious shift among the many alliance, and there are main questions as as to if there can be collective curiosity in taking these steps.
“I’m able to do main Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and began, to do the identical factor, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” he stated in a submit to social media, quoting what he stated was a letter despatched to his NATO counterparts.
He continued, “As you realize, NATO’S dedication to WIN has been far lower than 100%, and the acquisition of Russian Oil, by some, has been surprising! It vastly weakens your negotiating place, and bargaining energy, over Russia. Anyway, I’m able to ‘go’ if you find yourself. Simply say when?”
The president additionally known as on NATO international locations to considerably ramp up tariffs on China in a present of pressure.
“I consider that this, plus NATO, as a bunch, inserting 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be absolutely withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, may also be of nice assist in ENDING this lethal, however RIDICULOUS, WAR,” he stated.
Trump added that Russia’s conflict in Ukraine would finish “rapidly” if these steps had been taken.
CNN has reported that the European Union imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports and refined oil merchandise like diesel, however many international locations proceed to import Russian fossil fuels and liquefied pure fuel.
The president has repeatedly previewed the potential of extra sanctions on Russia, telling Fox Information’ “Fox & Associates” on Friday he’s contemplating “hitting very arduous with sanctions to banks and having to do with oil and tariffs additionally.”
He has already doubled tariffs to 50% on India, which purchases oil from Russia, and acknowledged Friday the transfer “prompted a rift” with the nation. India has argued that it’s being unfairly focused with the tariff enhance, calling it “unjustified” on condition that different nations additionally do enterprise with Moscow.
Garment staff type clothes materials for attire at an attire manufacturing unit in Bengaluru, India, on August 25, 2025. US President Donald Trump has threatened to double import duties on India from 25% to 50% by August 27 to punish New Delhi for getting oil from Russia, saying the purchases assist Moscow fund its invasion of Ukraine. – Idrees Mohammed/AFP/Getty Photos
It stays unclear whether or not NATO international locations will take these steps, which might mark a dramatic departure from their current tariff insurance policies.
Earlier this week when the president spoke with a European delegation from the EU, he pushed them to place 50-100% tariffs on each China and India, in response to folks aware of the dialog. However notably, Trump’s missive to his NATO counterparts on Saturday didn’t point out India. The EU is in last phases of negotiating a commerce cope with India, so it was unlikely they’d go together with that.
Russia was the most important provider of petroleum to the EU previous to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU has since imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports, in addition to refined oil merchandise, like diesel. Consequently, oil imports to Europe fell to $1.72 billion (1.48 billion euros) for the primary quarter of 2025, down from $16.4 billion (14.06 billion euros) in the identical quarter of 2021, in response to the newest knowledge from Eurostat.
The EU has barely decreased Russia’s market share of liquefied pure fuel imports since 2021 – from 22% right down to 19% in 2025 – whereas additionally vastly rising the US market share.
And the bloc – which has been the Individuals’ companion in sanctions towards Russia – imported $41.9 billion (36 billion euros) of products from Russia in 2024, knowledge from the EU’s statistics company reveals.
European officers stated final week after the Trump assembly that new tariffs on China or India had been unlikely, since that’s not how they strategy using tariffs and the Europeans have usually been extra cautious in commerce wars, particularly with China.
By issuing his Russian oil ultimatum to NATO as a substitute of the EU, Trump is together with Turkey, which is the third largest purchaser of Russian oil after China and India, in these calls for. The EU has largely lower off oil purchases, with exceptions for Hungary and Slovakia, however Turkey continues to be a buyer, underscoring the steep calls for.
Momentum to finish the conflict round Trump’s August 15 assembly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska has largely stalled and Trump’s newest calls for danger prolonging the battle even additional. Time is a helpful commodity for Putin, giving Russia the flexibility to make extra features on the battlefield and shore up management over occupied areas.
Russia reveals no indicators of de-escalation
Russia, in the meantime, is exhibiting few indicators it’s fascinated by deescalation.
Romania’s protection ministry stated it intercepted a drone that entered its airspace whereas Russia attacked Ukraine on Saturday.
Two F-16 fighter jets detected the drone whereas monitoring the air state of affairs on the border with Ukraine, the place Russia was finishing up aerial assaults.
The Romanian pilots tracked the drone till it dropped off the radar roughly 20 kilometers southwest of Chilia Veche, a group alongside the Danube River and on the Romania-Ukraine border.
The drone didn’t fly over populated areas or pose an imminent risk to the inhabitants, the ministry stated, including that groups are able to seek for doable particles from the gadget.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated the drone had operated in NATO airspace “for round 50 minutes.”
“The Russian army is aware of precisely the place their drones are headed and the way lengthy they’ll function within the air. Their routes are all the time calculated. This can’t be a coincidence, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders. It’s an apparent growth of the conflict by Russia,” Zelensky wrote on X.
The interception in Romania follows a major incursion of Russian drones in Polish airspace earlier this week. After that incident, NATO introduced the start of an operation to bolster the safety of its japanese flank. Trump instructed reporters on the White Home Thursday the transfer “might have been a mistake, however regardless, I’m not completely happy about something having to do with that entire state of affairs, however hopefully it’s going to return to an finish.”
And Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphatically acknowledged on Saturday the incursion into Poland was “unacceptable and unlucky and harmful improvement” as he stated the US continues to be assessing whether or not these drones had been meant to enter NATO airspace.
“It shouldn’t occur. I don’t assume anyone’s completely happy about it seeing occur. You noticed NATO reply to it appropriately. We don’t need to see it occur once more,” Rubio instructed reporters as he ready to depart for Israel.
CNN has reached out to the White Home for touch upon the incursion into Romania.
Poland’s armed forces additionally launched aviation operations on account of drone strikes in areas of Ukraine that border Poland. The operation was “preventive in nature,” the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces stated.
Lublin Airport briefly paused operations whereas the plane had been deployed, Poland’s aviation company reported.
Zelensky stated that Russian drones had entered Ukraine by means of Belarusian airspace on Saturday.
This text has been up to date with extra data.
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