Trump demands that NATO countries stop buying oil from Russia

Washington.- The President of the United States, Donald Trump, demanded this Saturday that all countries of the NATO stop buying oil from Russia. The Republican leader sent a letter to the members of the Atlantic Alliance in which he states that he will not impose new sanctions on Moscow as long as there are allies who continue to acquire crude oil from Russia.

“I am willing to impose significant sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations have agreed and begun to do the same, and when all NATO nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” he wrote.

Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia continue to import Russian oil, although most European countries stopped doing so after the war in Ukraine broke out.

NATO, Key to Pressuring Russia, According to Trump

Trump pointed out in his letter that the purchase of Russian crude by NATO members “greatly weakens their negotiating position and their negotiating power over Russia.” The Republican also insisted on his demand for allies to impose 100% tariffs on China in order to pressure the Asian giant to use its influence over Russia to end the war. “China has a strong control, and even control, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break it,” he declared. “If NATO does what I say, the WAR will end quickly and all those lives will be saved. If not, they are just wasting my time, and the time, energy and money of the United States,” he concluded.

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Trump’s letter arrives at a moment of high tension after this week 19 Russian drones violated Poland’s airspace and were shot down by NATO. Trump has been expressing his frustration for months over Russia’s refusal to end the war in Ukraine and received his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska on August 15 to give a boost to the negotiations, but the meeting concluded without concrete progress.