President Donald Trump has always been a big fan of tariffs, calling himself the “Tariff Man” back in his first term. Now, in his current role, he’s doubling down on them as a key tool in U.S. foreign policy, especially when it comes to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
University of Chicago Associate Professor Paul Poast told that Trump’s push for tariffs makes sense in light of his frustration with countries still buying oil from Russia. “One of his biggest critiques is that European nations, India, and China keep purchasing Russian oil, which helps fund Russia’s war machine in Ukraine,” Poast explained. Trump sees these imports as a way Russia keeps the conflict going, and he wants to cut them off completely.
Poast described India’s approach as smart and practical. “India isn’t endorsing the war—they’re just taking advantage of the discounted Russian oil,” he said. This realpolitik strategy has boosted India’s energy deals but has only hardened Trump’s stance. “Now Trump is saying that’s not acceptable,” Poast added. “The best way to stop Russia is to choke off their oil sales.”
At the 80th United Nations General Assembly session, Trump ramped up the pressure. He warned Russia that the U.S. stands ready to slap on “a very strong round of powerful tariffs” if President Vladimir Putin doesn’t agree to end the Ukraine war. Trump pointed out that the conflict isn’t doing Russia any favors. “Russia’s war in Ukraine is not making Russia look good,” he said.
Trump has also expressed personal disappointment in Putin. During a news conference last week with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said, “He has let me down. I mean, he’s killing many people, and he’s losing more than he’s killing. Frankly, Russian soldiers are dying at a higher rate than Ukrainian ones.”
Earlier, Trump urged NATO and European allies to step up their game against Russia. He criticized Europe for still buying oil from Moscow despite the Ukraine invasion. “Europe is my friend, but they’re buying Russian oil,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t want them to. Their sanctions aren’t tough enough. I’m ready to impose more, but they need to match what I’m doing and get serious.”
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