U.S. President Donald Trump expressed the opinion that it is China that can compel the Russian Federation to cease its armed aggression if European countries impose tariffs on Beijing. He emphasized that China is the largest importer of Russian oil and also has other, unspoken levers of influence over the Kremlin.
This is reported by Business • Media
Europe’s reaction to U.S. initiatives
In response to this statement, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested considering the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions that would directly affect Russia. The French leader stressed the importance of not only implementing general restrictions but also cutting off all channels through which third countries assist the Russian Federation. Macron also added that the European Union will insist on its own diplomatic strategy regarding China and will maintain independence in decision-making. According to him, the European approach to China is not about isolation but about reducing risks.
The position of the European Commission and Ukraine’s expectations
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reported that in response to Trump’s call to impose 100% tariffs against India and China, the EU is developing its own measures with the consensus of all countries in the bloc. She explained this as a desire of the U.S. president to increase pressure on Russia to compel it to enter negotiations. For this reason, according to von der Leyen, the European Union has prepared the nineteenth sanctions package.
“This demand is related to the U.S. president’s desire to increase pressure on Russia to force it to come to the negotiating table; for this reason, I proposed our 19th sanctions package,” von der Leyen noted.
The Ukrainian authorities expect that the new sanctions package will help close potential supply routes to Russia for foreign components used in the production of weapons employed in attacks on Ukrainian territory.
In addition, Donald Trump expressed confidence that a decrease in global oil prices could be a decisive factor in ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, as it would lead to serious economic pressure on Moscow.