Trump Urges EU to Consider Tariffs on China and India to Pressure Russia
On September 9, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump called on EU officials to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China. This move is part of a broader strategy aimed at influencing Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
During a conference call with EU sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan and other officials, Trump also suggested that similar tariffs could be applied to India. This information was shared by a U.S. official who preferred to remain anonymous due to the private nature of the talks.
Both China and India are significant buyers of Russian oil, which is vital for sustaining Russia’s economy amid its ongoing military actions in Ukraine that escalated in 2022.
In the discussions, the EU diplomat noted that the U.S. was open to imposing comparable tariffs if the EU decided to act on Trump’s request. “They’re basically indicating, ‘We’ll do this together,’” the diplomat said.
If the EU complies with the U.S. request, it would mark a shift from the EU’s current focus on isolating Russia with sanctions rather than using tariffs.
Trump has previously threatened to apply tariffs on both China and India due to their purchases of Russian crude oil. He did increase tariffs on India by 25% this summer, partly because of its ties with Moscow. However, he has not yet moved forward with the more aggressive tariff measures he has mentioned.
At the same time, Trump has expressed frustration that Europe has not completely severed its energy ties with Russia, which provided about 19% of the EU’s gas imports last year. The EU claims to be committed to ending this dependence.
Later that same day, Trump indicated that the U.S. could potentially enhance trade relations with India. He shared on social media that both nations are looking to tackle trade barriers and expressed eagerness to speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Published on September 10, 2025
