Donald Trump has set a new condition for imposing fresh sanctions on Russia: all NATO members must first halt purchases of Russian oil. He criticized several member states for continuing energy ties with Moscow, saying their actions undermine the alliance’s leverage and weaken efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump also proposed that NATO impose punitive tariffs—ranging from 50 % to 100 %—on China to reduce its economic support of Russia’s war machine. He argued that until NATO as a bloc fully commits to the energy cutoff, the U.S. will delay major sanctions.
The demand places unexpected tension on the alliance, especially because key members such as Turkey and Hungary continue to import Russian oil. Trump’s approach signals a shift away from unilateral U.S. sanctions toward making allied cooperation a precondition—and highlights his frustration with what he sees as uneven participation by NATO in confronting Russia.