Trump reportedly urges EU to impose 100% tariffs on India, China
text_fields
Washington: US President Donald Trump has reportedly called on the European Union to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on India and China as part of an effort to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, according to reports.
The demand came during a meeting between US and EU officials on Tuesday, aimed at exploring options to increase economic pressure on Russia, the Financial Times, BBC, and Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
One US official said the Trump administration was “ready to go, ready to go right now, but we are only going to do this if our European partners step up with us.”
Trump’s proposal follows his growing frustration over brokering a peace deal with Russia, including at a high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska, and comes amid Russia’s escalating drone attacks, including its largest-ever airstrike on Ukraine last week.
After the Washington meeting, Trump told reporters he expected to speak with Putin “this week or early next week.”
The move comes as Putin strengthens ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a high-profile summit in China.
Last month, the US increased tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent in response to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
On Tuesday, Trump reiterated that trade negotiations with India are ongoing. Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, he stated: “India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks.”
EU officials, led by the bloc’s sanctions chief David O’Sullivan, took part in the Washington discussions alongside senior US Treasury officials.