WASHINGTON (Reuters)-United States President Donald Trump asked the European Union authorities on Tuesday to reach China with up to 100%trade tariffs as part of a strategy to press Russia President Vladimir Putin, according to a US authority and a European Union diplomat.
Trump also encouraged the European Union to reach India with equally expansive tariffs, the authority said, who called for anonymity to discuss private conversations.
China and India are the main buyers of Russian oil and, as such, play a vital role in maintaining Russia’s economy to light as it continues to perform its expanded invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.
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Trump made the request, which was transmitted by teleconference, to the EU sanctions, David O’Sullivan, and other authorities of the block. The EU delegation is currently in Washington to discuss the coordination of sanctions.
The EU diplomat said the US had indicated that they were willing to impose similar rates if the European Union complied with the request.
“They are basically saying, We’ll do that, but you need to do it with us,” said the diplomat.
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The US request, if fulfilled, would result in a strategy change for the EU, which preferred to isolate Russia with sanctions instead of tariffs.
China is firmly opposed to the US application of so-called economic pressure, its foreign ministry told a regular press conference on Wednesday, adding that it also opposes the use of China in discussions about Russia.
Trump, whose request was first reported by the Financial Times, often threatened to impose tariffs on India and China as punishment for their Russian gross oil purchases.
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Although Trump has increased the rates on India at 25 percentage points, partly due to his economic relationship with Kremlin, Trump has not yet pulled the trigger of the most punitive options he launched.
Sometimes he complained that Europe itself did not fully detach itself from Russia, which provided about 19% of EU gas imports last year, although the block says it is committed to fully ending its dependence on Russian energy.
Later, on Tuesday, Trump suggested that the US could, in fact, boost trade with India, writing in a night media night that the US and India are working to solve trade barriers between nations. He added that he was eager to talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
