WASHINGTON – During a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, President Donald Trump urged Turkey to cease purchasing oil from Russia.
Erdogan visited the White House for a state visit, and I chatted with a reporter in the Oval Office before lunch.
“We have a tremendous relationship that encompasses war and trade. I think we’re considering both aspects today,” Trump remarked. “We want him to stop buying oil from Russia while Russia continues its aggression toward Ukraine.”
“They’ve already lost millions of lives. What’s the point? Russia’s economy is in a terrible state right now,” he continued. “It’s a shame they’re doing this.”
Trump has consistently pushed for an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Since taking office, he has been keen to facilitate peace. However, his views shifted after a recent meeting at the United Nations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he stated that Ukraine is “in a position to fight for and reclaim its territories.”
“With the support of Europe, especially the time, patience, and financial backing of NATO, restoring the original borders from where this conflict began is a viable option. Why?” he wrote on the Social Post of Truth.
At the UN General Assembly, Trump maintained his focus on Russia and criticized NATO allies.
“China and India are the primary backers of this ongoing war by continuing to buy Russian oil,” he stated. “It’s disappointing because even NATO countries haven’t sufficiently blocked Russian energy imports. I learned about this a couple of weeks ago, and it frustrated me.”
He urged all European nations to halt energy imports from Russia, suggesting that they could impose strong tariffs.
“If Russia isn’t willing to negotiate to end the war, the US is fully prepared to impose significant, powerful tariffs.”
“But for these tariffs to be effective, European countries need to unite here and adopt similar measures,” he added.
In late August, Trump proposed an additional 25% tariff on India in relation to its purchases of Russian oil.
