Trump Demands 50–100% Tariffs on China to Cripple Russia’s War Effort

US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged NATO countries to immediately halt purchases of Russian oil and to impose tariffs of 50–100% on China until the war in Ukraine ends.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had issued a letter to NATO members, criticizing their “far less than 100%” commitment to Ukraine and calling ongoing Russian oil imports by some allies “shocking.”

“It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia,” he wrote. Trump argued that tariffs on China, to be lifted once the war ends, would “be of great help in ending this deadly, but ridiculous, war.”

According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, NATO member Turkiye ranks as the third-largest buyer of Russian oil after China and India, with Hungary and Slovakia also among importers.

The remarks come weeks after Trump imposed a 50% tariff on India for buying Russian oil, though similar measures have not yet been extended to China or other countries. He has previously threatened both direct and secondary sanctions if Moscow’s war continues.

“China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break that grip,” Trump said, adding that the conflict “would never have started if I was President.” He described it as “Biden’s and Zelenskyy’s war,” insisting his goal is to end it and “save thousands of lives.”

The latest comments follow heightened tensions after Russian drones strayed into Polish airspace, raising alarm in a NATO member state. While Trump has repeatedly pledged to broker a quick end to the war and has held informal talks with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders, he has yet to make a breakthrough.

The US President, who often cites his self-nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, has claimed credit for preventing six major global conflicts. Securing peace in Ukraine, he has suggested, would be his biggest diplomatic achievement yet.