Ready to impose sanctions on Russia if NATO does the same

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was “ready to make major sanctions against Russia” once all NATO countries started “to do the same thing” and to suspend their oil purchases in Moscow.

He also urged NATO countries to impose “50% at 100% of prices on China”, which, according to him, should be withdrawn after the end of the Russian-Ukraine war.

“China has a strong control, and even adhesion, on Russia, and these powerful rates will break this catch,” wrote Trump in a social article of truth, which, according to him, was the text of a letter sent to all NATO nations and “the world”.

Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, praised Trump’s decision to urge NATO nations to impose strict sanctions on China.

“It is only with a unified effort that cuts income funding Putin’s war machine at the source that we can apply sufficient economic pressure to end the insane murder,” said Bessent on X.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose sanctions on Russia with regard to his invasion of Ukraine, but has so far prevented it from doing so.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the allies not to “seek apology” to avoid sanctions.

“I urge all the partners to stop looking for apology not to impose sanctions – Europe, the United States, the G7, the G20,” wrote Zelinskyy on X.

“It is necessary to reduce the consumption of Russian oil, which will certainly reduce Russia’s ability to fight. We can hear the position of the United States, and this position should be heard by all those who still choose Russian supplies rather than other partners,” he added.

Earlier this month, the president said he was ready to head to a second phase of Russia sanction, but has not yet imposed the samples.

Part of Trump’s reluctance to impose strict economic sanctions can be partly because he hopes to be able to negotiate a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, analysts said in CNBC.

“The second reason … is there a feeling that if Russia is defeated … then it has no other choice than to go even further with China, and that potentially strengthens the position of China,” said Chris Week, director general of macro-avision based in Moscow, in CNBC earlier this month.

Trump’s Saturday Post underlines that he focuses on NATO’s nations to put pressure on Russia to put an end to his war.

“As you know, NATO’s commitment to be won was much less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian oil, by some, was shocking!” Trump wrote in the post.

“This considerably weakens your negotiation position and the power of negotiation on Russia,” he continued.

Hungary and Slovakia have continued to buy Russian fossil fuels, arousing criticism from Trump officials.

“We want to move all Russian gases. President Trump, America and all EU nations, we want to end the Ukraine Russian war,” the US Energy Secretary said on Friday.