On September 4 local time, Reuters cited a White House official as reporting that U.S. President Trump told European leaders that day that Europe must stop buying Russian oil because these transactions are helping Russia continue to fund the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The report stated that Trump’s tone appeared aggressive amid slow diplomatic progress to end the conflict.
Trump participated in a “coalition of the willing” phone conference led by French President Macron that day. The so-called “coalition of the willing” refers to countries that have expressed their intention to provide military and other support to Ukraine after the Russia-Ukraine conflict ends. These countries are also discussing security guarantees for Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached.
“President Macron and European leaders invited President Trump to join their ‘coalition of the willing’ meeting. President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop buying Russian oil that funds this conflict, as Russia earned 11 billion euros in fuel sales from the EU within a year,” the White House official said.
The official also revealed that Trump once again brought up China during the call, further threatening: “European leaders must exert economic pressure on China because China is funding Russia’s military efforts.”
Previously, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has emphasized that China’s position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We have always believed that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. China-Russia cooperation is neither targeted at any third party nor influenced by any third party.
According to reports, since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU has begun seeking to sever its decades-long energy relationship with Russia. The European Commission has proposed legislation requiring a phased cessation of imports of Russian oil and gas by January 1, 2028.
Most European countries stopped importing Russian crude oil in 2022 and halted imports of Russian fuel in 2023. It is currently unclear whether Trump was referring to the crude oil still being imported by Hungary and Slovakia, or to imported fuel made from Russian crude and refined in third countries like India.
Reuters pointed out that shortly after taking office in January of this year, Trump boasted that he could quickly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, so far, Trump has expressed frustration over his inability to end the conflict.
In July of this year, while threatening Russia, Trump mentioned the concept of “secondary sanctions,” vowing to punish buyers of Russian oil by imposing tariffs of up to 100% on imports from these countries.
However, to date, Trump has not launched new sanctions against Russia and China but has instead imposed high tariffs on imports from India. India has been a major consumer of Russian energy since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Previously, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized that China’s position on the Ukraine crisis has been consistent and clear. We have always believed that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. China firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. “There are no winners in a tariff war, and coercion and pressure cannot solve problems. We hope all parties will further create an atmosphere and accumulate conditions for the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis and do more that is conducive to promoting peace and talks,” he said.
According to reports, during this “coalition of the willing” phone conference, Trump continued to urge Europeans to take on more defense responsibilities and was unwilling to commit to providing more U.S. support for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The White House official stated that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and European Commission President von der Leyen also participated in the call.
“The ‘coalition of the willing’ meeting discussed security guarantees for Ukraine. President Trump questioned the seriousness of these guarantees while they continue to fuel Russia’s economy and war efforts. The President made it clear that this is not his war and that European countries must also step up to help,” the White House official said.
It is reported that the White House official did not disclose details of the security guarantee discussions. Trump had previously expressed support for Ukraine but made no specific commitments. Macron stated on September 4 local time that 26 countries have pledged to provide Ukraine with post-war international land, sea, and air force support.
