Trump's Tariff Gambit: Choking Russia's Lifeline Through Oil and China's Wallet

Trump Calls for Economic Pressure on Russia by Targeting Oil Imports and Imposing Tariffs on China

U.S. President Donald Trump has called on NATO to cease Russian oil purchases and impose tariffs of 50% to 100% on Chinese imports of Russian oil, asserting that these measures would significantly weaken Russia's economic and military capacity to continue the war in Ukraine. In a social media post, Trump criticized NATO's engagement in Russian energy trade, calling the purchases “shocking” and claiming it “greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia.” He argued that halting Russian oil sales to NATO members and imposing stringent tariffs on China could “also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR.”

The U.S. president emphasized that China holds considerable influence over Russia and that imposing heavy tariffs could disrupt this dynamic. “China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia,” Trump stated, arguing that tariffs “will break that grip.”. According to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, since 2023, NATO member Turkey has been the third-largest buyer of Russian oil, after China and India. Other NATO members involved in Russian oil purchases include Hungary and Slovakia.

Trump's comments follow the recent incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, a NATO ally, which prompted the country to shoot them down. While Trump dismissed the incident as “could have been a mistake,” he reiterated his stance that decisive economic actions are necessary to end the conflict. Despite his campaign promises to end the war quickly, Trump has not yet imposed significant pressure points on Russia, with critics noting his reluctance to confront President Vladimir Putin.

Trump's call for a unified front on sanctions was reinforced during a recent call with finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7), an alliance of industrialized democracies. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged their counterparts to adopt a “unified front” to cut off “the revenues funding Putin’s war machine,” according to Greer’s office. Energy revenues remain a critical financial lifeline for the Russian government, making oil and gas exports a key target of Western sanctions.

The U.S. has already imposed a 25% import tax on Indian goods for its purchases of Russian energy products, bringing total punitive duties on Indian goods to 50%. However, Trump has refrained from imposing additional tariffs on Chinese imports, as his administration is navigating a delicate trade truce with Beijing. Earlier this year, Trump imposed new tariffs totaling 145% on Chinese goods, prompting retaliatory measures from China, which imposed 125% import taxes on American goods. These measures created significant strain on trade relations between the world's two largest economies, eventually leading to negotiations that reduced tariffs to 30% and 10%, respectively.

Trump has shifted blame for the conflict onto his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, avoiding any direct criticism of Putin for launching the invasion. His administration’s approach has been marked by a mix of high-profile diplomatic gestures and economic pressure, yet concrete progress toward a resolution has been elusive. As the U.S. and its allies seek to show greater resolve, the potential for collateral economic damage, including rising global oil prices and strained trade relations, remains a significant concern.