U.S. President Donald Trump called on European leaders to halt purchases of Russian oil, warning that these imports are financing Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
The call was made during a phone conversation with leaders of the “Alliance of the Willing”, which convened in Paris, according to Reuters, citing a White House official.
“President Macron and other European leaders invited President Trump to their meeting. He emphasized that Europe must stop buying Russian oil, which has generated €1.1 billion in fuel sales from the EU to Russia over the past year,” the official said.
Trump also urged European leaders to increase economic pressure on China, claiming that Beijing is indirectly supporting Russia’s military efforts.
The European Commission has proposed legislation to phase out Russian oil and gas imports by 1 January 2028.
After deteriorating relations with the West due to the war in Ukraine, Russia has deepened strategic and economic ties with China, shifting its focus from Europe to the East. China and India have become Russia’s largest oil buyers.
During a recent visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing, Russia and China signed a new energy agreement, further expanding cooperation in addition to existing natural gas deals.
According to Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev, the state-owned company Rosneft will supply Beijing with an additional 2.5 million tons of crude oil per year via pipelines passing through Kazakhstan.
