Trump Urges Europe to Halt Russian Oil Purchases, Calls for Pressure on China

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

PARIS (Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on Thursday pressed European leaders to stop buying Russian oil that he said is helping fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine and urged them to place economic pressure on Beijing for supporting the Kremlin’s war effort.

Trump joined a Paris summit of nearly 30 leaders–dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing”–via phone at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting in person, where participants discussed military commitments and long-term security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

“Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war,” Trump told leaders, according to a White House official. He pointed out that Russia earned roughly €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) from fuel sales to the European Union over the past year. Trump added that European governments should target China with coordinated economic pressure, accusing Beijing of helping Moscow sustain its campaign in Ukraine.

Although trade between Russia and the EU has dropped by 86% since 2022, Europe still imported $1.72 billion worth of Russian oil in the first quarter of 2025, down sharply from $16.4 billion in early 2021, according to Eurostat. Russia continues to account for about 19% of the EU’s natural gas imports, with rising prices keeping revenues high despite lower volumes. The European Commission has proposed legislation to phase out Russian oil and gas imports by January 1, 2028, but disentangling from decades-old energy ties has proven difficult.

The Paris summit comes as Trump’s self-imposed two-week deadline nears for a potential bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump told reporters earlier this week that he had “no message” for Putin but hinted at further sanctions if peace progress stalls. Putin, speaking in Beijing on Wednesday, said he was willing to host Zelenskyy in Moscow if the talks were “well-prepared,” an idea Kyiv swiftly rejected.

Trump has already imposed steep tariffs to punish countries buying Russian oil. Last month he raised U.S. tariffs on imports from India to 50%, citing New Delhi’s rising reliance on discounted Russian crude. “It will not be a world war, but it’ll be an economic war,” Trump warned Tuesday. “And an economic war is going to be bad. It’s going to be bad for Russia.”

European leaders at the Paris meeting reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine. Macron said the preparatory work on providing Kyiv with post-war security guarantees was complete. “We are ready as Europeans to offer security guarantees to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, the day a peace deal is signed,” he told reporters.

Attendees included leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Poland, and several other NATO members, along with representatives from Canada, Turkey, Australia, and the EU.

Latest Worthy News