United States President Donald Trump has urged the European Union to slap 100 percent tariffs on China and India as part of his efforts to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine, US and British media have reported.
Trump made the call after dialling into a meeting of US and EU officials in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, according to the reports.
The Financial Times, which first reported the news, said Trump indicated he was prepared to impose steeper tariffs on China and India, two major buyers of Russian oil, if European nations did as well.
“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,” the Times quoted an unnamed US official as saying.
Trump’s proposal was confirmed by multiple outlets, including Reuters, Bloomberg and CNBC.
Trump last month raised the tariff rate on Indian imports to 50 percent, citing the South Asian giant’s continuing purchases of Russian oil.
On Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post that Washington and New Delhi were continuing negotiations on trade barriers and that he looked forward to speaking to his “very good friend” Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, in the coming weeks.
“I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” Trump said on Truth Social.
Responding to Trump on Wednesday, Modi said he was confident the talks would “pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership”.
“I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump,” Modi said on X.
“We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people.”
Trump has yet to target China, which is in the midst of negotiating a trade deal with Washington, over its oil purchases specifically.
Trump, who pledged to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine during his election campaign, has expressed growing frustration at the difficulty of reaching a peace deal amid Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Despite months of diplomatic efforts, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on key issues that would likely be included in any settlement, including territorial concessions and post-conflict security guarantees.
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