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Trump Urges Europe to Cut Russian Oil, Press China in Bid to End Kremlin War
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
US President Donald Trump has urged Europe to cut off purchases of Russian oil and to step up economic pressure on China, arguing that both steps are critical to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a White House official familiar with the talks, CNN reported on September 5.
The remarks came during a virtual appearance at a Paris gathering of the Coalition of the Willing, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders discussed possible security guarantees for Ukraine.
“Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war—as Russia received $1.28 billion from EU fuel sales in just one year,” Trump told the group, according to CNN. He also pressed leaders to “place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the meeting, stated afterward that 26 nations have signaled their readiness to contribute troops to a potential peacekeeping mission should a ceasefire deal be reached.
Macron stressed, however, that US involvement remains vital. “Alongside strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces and deploying European troops, the third component of Ukraine’s security guarantees ought to be an American safety net,” he said.
“In the coming days we will finalize the American support for these security guarantees,” Macron added.
Trump, who has previously warned of “severe consequences” for Vladimir Putin if he refuses to end the war, has grown increasingly impatient with the pace of peace efforts since his high-profile Alaska summit with the Russian leader nearly three weeks ago.
Administration officials told CNN that Trump is weighing whether to take a more direct role in pushing for a face-to-face meeting between Moscow and Kyiv.
For now, the US President has turned his focus toward targeting Russia’s energy trade and those who sustain it.
“I’ve already done that with regard to India,” Trump said.
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Zelenskyy echoed Trump’s call to expand pressure beyond Moscow itself. “The Russian economy is pressured and all the countries who trade with Russia are pressured, and we will continue with this,” he said, noting that “secondary sanctions and special trade tariffs” could help.
At the same time, Zelenskyy rejected Putin’s suggestion that the two meet in Moscow.
“Our American partners told me that Putin had invited me to Moscow. In my opinion, if someone wants the meeting to not take place, they should invite me to Moscow,” Zelenskyy said.
Earlier, Trump said that he remains committed to pursuing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, despite uncertainty over a potential meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
