Donald Trump on Saturday, stepped up his criticism of countries buying Russian crude, with the POTUS issuing a letter to all NATO member nations, claiming that the Russia-Ukraine war will end quickly if NATO ‘does what he says’.
“If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the United States,” wrote Trump on Truth Social.
What did Trump say?
Trump claimed that the war would end if all NATO countries stopped buying oil from Russia and placed tariffs on China of 50% to 100% for its purchases of Russian petroleum.
The POTUS posted on his social media site that NATO’S commitment to winning the war “has been far less than 100%” and the purchase of Russian oil by some members of the alliance is “shocking.”
In his strongly-worded letter directed at the 32-member state alliance, Trump said: “It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia.”
Which NATO nations buy Russian oil?
According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, NATO member Turkey has been the third largest buyer of Russian oil since 2023 — followed by China and India.
Other NATO member nations involved in purchasing Russian oil include Hungary and Slovakia.
(This is a developing story. Keep checking for more updates)