WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump has urged the European Union to impose 100 percent tariff on India and China as part of his strategy to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, international media reported.
Both India and China are major buyers of Russian oil, playing a key role in saving Russian economy as Putin plans to expand Ukraine war, which started in 2022.
Reuters reported that the Trump’s request was conveyed via a conference call to EU envoy David O’Sullivan and other officials.
If the US request is implemented, it would be a major shift in the EU strategy to isolate Russia.
The request was made by Trump days after Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi resolve to strengthen their ties at a SCO summit.
However, in a recent post shared by Trump on his Truth Social platform, he suggested that the US could in fact, boost trade with India.
He stated that the both countries are working to tackles the trade issues between them. Trump announced that he was looking forward to speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations,” Trump wrote on Truth. The US president added that he feels “certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion” for both nations.
In response to Trump’s negotiations statement, Modi said he was “looking forward” to it.
