Trump Warns NATO Over Russian Oil Purchases, Proposes Tariffs on China

President TRUMP has escalated pressure on NATO allies, threatening severe sanctions against Russia unless member states collectively halt purchases of Russian oil. In a Truth Social post, he condemned NATO's "shocking" energy trade with Moscow, arguing it undermines Western leverage. "NATO's commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%," Trump wrote, linking energy dependence to geopolitical weakness.

The former president floated a novel economic tactic: coordinated NATO tariffs of 50-100% on Chinese goods, contingent on Beijing's continued support for Russia. This measure, he claimed, could force China to abandon its alliance with Moscow and hasten the end of the Ukraine conflict. The proposal echoes Trump's longstanding trade-war tactics during his first administration.

During a Fox News interview, Trump signaled diminishing patience with Vladimir Putin, though stopped short of assigning sole blame for the protracted war. The remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of cryptocurrency's role in circumventing sanctions, with Bitcoin and ethereum volumes spiking in ruble trading pairs on offshore exchanges.