President Donald Trump had a call on Thursday with a European leader, urging him to stop buying Russian oil. The purchase of Russian oil is said to be financially aiding China in its support of the war in Ukraine and facilitating Russia’s military efforts.
White House officials confirmed the call to Breitbart News after reports by Reuters indicated that it was part of a discussion among Trump and various national leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron.
“President Macron and other European leaders have invited President Trump to an ‘ambitious meeting.’ Trump emphasized that Europe needs to cease its Russian oil purchases, as these funds support the war, noting that the EU has generated 1.1 billion euros from fuel sales to Russia over the past year,” the official mentioned.
Additionally, Trump insisted that European leaders should exert economic pressure on China to limit its backing of Russia’s war efforts.
This week, Trump voiced his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reflecting on the potential ramifications of the ongoing conflict during an interview, where he described the situation as troubling.
“I’m really disappointed with him. We’ve always had a good relationship, but I’m really disappointed,” Trump stated during an interview on the Scott Jennings Radio Program, aired on the Salem News Network. “Thousands of people are dying—Russians, Ukrainians—there are so many. It’s a war that simply doesn’t make sense.”
“If I were president, this would never have happened. The elections were fully involved, and that’s unfortunate,” he added.
Last month, Trump enacted a 50% tariff on India as a pressure tactic in response to its Russian oil purchases. Meanwhile, India’s President Narendra Modi and Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and others at the Shanghai Cooperation Agency Summit this week.
During a meeting with Polish President Karol Naulocky on Wednesday, Trump discussed further sanctions on Russia but corrected a Polish reporter who claimed he hadn’t acted against Russia since taking office.
“Do you consider they’re nearly equal when they impose secondary sanctions on India, the largest buyer outside of China? You think they haven’t done anything?” Trump retorted to a reporter. “It costs Russia hundreds of billions. Do you call that inaction?”
“I haven’t implemented phase 2 or phase 3 yet, but when I say there’s been no action, I told you two weeks ago that there’s a serious issue with India buying from Russia, so don’t misrepresent that,” Trump concluded.
