Trump Urges Europe to Stop Russian Oil Purchases Amid Ukraine Conflict

In a robust call to action, U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded European nations urgently cease purchasing Russian oil to choke funding Moscow uses for its military operations in Ukraine. Addressing reporters before his state visit to the United Kingdom, Trump insisted on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy negotiating an end to the ongoing conflict.

Trump voiced his impatience with European countries for maintaining energy imports from Russia, despite their verbal support for Ukraine. He stressed the need for Ukraine's President to broker peace and urged Europe to act decisively by stopping their Russian oil acquisitions, highlighting a disparity between their words and actions.

When questioned about his pressure on Europe and NATO to halt these imports, Trump was unequivocal. He pointed out the unfairness in Europe's continued energy transactions with Russia and called for immediate action. "The problem," he noted, "is their ongoing purchase of Russian oil, something I adamantly oppose, demanding they stop at once."

Painting the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an unnecessary war, Trump blamed longstanding leadership hostilities. He expressed a commitment to ending it, boasting of preventing numerous wars within months. He noted the mutual animosity between President Zelenskyy and President Putin but expressed optimism about resolving the crisis.

Trump had previously criticized European and NATO efforts against Russia, specifically targeting Europe's energy dealings with Moscow. He demanded a more unified front and tougher sanctions from Europe, as they continue buying significant quantities of Russian oil, contrary to U.S. policy.

He stressed readiness to act independently of NATO if necessary, criticizing European reliance on Russian natural resources. Trump's stance is reflected in a letter to NATO nations, where he urged for unified sanctions and a complete cessation of Russian oil imports.

Expanding his foreign policy vision, Trump proposed hefty tariffs on China as a pressure tactic alongside NATO's efforts to end the conflict. He posited that such economic measures could hasten the resolution of the conflict, describing the ongoing war as both deadly and illogical.

(With inputs from agencies.)