US President Donald Trump has urged the European Union to impose 100 percent tariffs on China and India in an effort to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Financial Times reported.
The demand came during a high-level meeting in Washington between senior US and EU officials exploring options to escalate economic pressure on Moscow.
Trump dialled into the talks and directly pressed negotiators to act.
"The obvious approach here is, let’s all put on dramatic tariffs and keep the tariffs on until the Chinese agree to stop buying the oil. There really aren’t many other places that oil can go," he said, according to the report.
A second US official said the administration is prepared to "mirror" any tariffs imposed by the EU, suggesting Washington could raise duties on Indian and Chinese imports to the same scale.
The proposal highlights growing frustration within the White House as Russia intensifies its aerial bombardment campaign across Ukraine.
With no clear path to a peace deal, Trump has turned to trade tools, arguing that coordinated tariffs could sever Russia’s economic lifeline by forcing China and India — two of Moscow’s largest oil buyers — to curtail purchases.
India has sharply increased imports of Russian crude since the February 2022 invasion, while China remains the largest overall buyer.
Together, they account for a majority of Russia’s seaborne oil exports, providing a crucial source of revenue that has blunted the impact of Western sanctions.
By pushing for a united transatlantic front, Trump is betting that Europe and the US can choke Russia’s finances by leveraging global trade flows.
"The message is clear: the West must use every tool at its disposal to squeeze the Kremlin," one US official was quoted as saying.
It is unclear how Brussels will respond, as EU members remain divided over new trade restrictions.
Some governments have resisted broader tariffs, citing risks to supply chains and domestic inflation.
Still, Trump’s call marks the most forceful push yet from Washington to expand the scope of economic pressure on Moscow by directly targeting the third countries that continue to underpin its energy trade.
