Trump Urges Europe to Halt Russian Energy Purchases

Former President Donald Trump has intensified his calls for European nations to stop buying energy from Russia. This comes amid a backdrop of sanctions related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has seen some new measures since Trump returned to public attention.

On Sunday evening, while speaking to reporters, Trump expressed skepticism about European countries’ abilities to effectively counter Russia, particularly NATO allies. He pointed out, “They don’t do their jobs. NATO has to come together. Europe… They’re my friends, but they buy oil from Russia, so we can’t expect to be the only one.”

Trump criticized the sanctions imposed by Europe on Russia, labeling them as insufficient. “Europe buys oil from Russia. I don’t want them to buy oil,” he stated, suggesting that Europe needs to toughen its approach. “I’m happy to do sanctions, but they’ll have to step up sanctions that suit what I’m doing,” he added.

As Europe has reduced its oil dependence on Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, certain nations like Hungary and France still remain heavily engaged in Russian energy imports. Hungary, for one, maintains a friendly relationship with Putin and continues to import significant amounts of Russian crude oil. Meanwhile, France, the second largest buyer of Russian energy in Europe, has been continuing to import mainly liquefied natural gas (LNG), which, according to reports, is sometimes being directed to other countries like Germany.

Interestingly, last month, the EU confirmed it had imported Russian LNG worth $5.2 billion during the first half of 2025. Trump’s remarks coincided with his recent letter to NATO, where he declared readiness to impose large-scale sanctions on Russia, contingent upon all NATO countries ceasing their oil purchases from Russia.

When asked about extending new U.S. sanctions on Russia, he hinted that Europe might need to stop all LNG imports as well, expanding the conversation to all types of Russian imports. “The contract, whether it’s natural gas or tobacco, I don’t care – they are not supposed to buy from Russia,” he stated.

However, he didn’t elaborate further on any specific agreements regarding U.S. imports from Russia, which for the first five months of 2025 amounted to $2.1 billion, mostly in concentrated uranium, palladium, and fertilizers.

Trump also urged NATO allies to consider implementing hefty tariffs on China, with proposed rates ranging from 50% to 100% until the conflict in Ukraine is resolved. This approach suggests a potential escalation beyond current U.S. tariffs on Beijing, hinting at a significantly higher percentage in the future.

The Biden administration has yet to comment on Trump’s recent remarks or proposed actions.