Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly called on the European Union to impose tariffs of up to 100% on India and China, in a move aimed at pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to a Financial Times report, Trump phoned into a high-level meeting with senior US and EU officials in Washington, where he pushed for sweeping duties against the two nations, both of which are among Russia’s largest oil buyers.
“We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” an unnamed US official told the publication.
The push comes months after Trump warned Moscow that it had 50 days to agree to a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Officials believe the proposed tariffs are part of his broader strategy to cut off Russia’s oil revenue by targeting its biggest trading partners.
Trump has already raised tariffs on India, doubling duties from 25% to 50% earlier this year, citing New Delhi’s oil trade with Russia. While the US currently imposes 30% tariffs on Chinese imports, Trump has so far refrained from escalating duties against Beijing, despite China being Russia’s largest oil buyer.
The former president’s stance on India, however, has appeared inconsistent. In July, after meeting with leaders from India, China, and Russia, Trump suggested that Washington had “lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China.” He later walked back the comment, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great leader” and stressing the importance of US–India ties.
In a more recent Truth Social post, Trump reaffirmed that Washington and New Delhi were engaged in talks to “address trade barriers” and added that he looks forward to further discussions with PM Modi.
Analysts say Trump’s tariff demands signal both his hardline approach to global trade and his intent to use economic leverage as a tool to influence geopolitical conflicts.