WASHINGTON, September 14. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s recent call to his NATO allies to stop importing Russian oil may be an attempt to delay a new round of Western sanctions against Russia, The Washington Post (WP) wrote.
"Critics said the comments could further delay Trump’s efforts to pressure [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to end the war in Ukraine," the paper wrote. "His proposal, announced on social media, is unlikely to land with several members of the 32-country alliance."
According to the report, some of NATO members continue to buy Russian fuel.
"Turkey is one of Russia’s major customers and has sought to preserve ties to the Kremlin despite the war. Hungary and Slovakia, two other customers of Russian oil that are led by Trump allies, have worked to shield their economies from the disruption of finding other energy suppliers," the Washington Post wrote.
"But some Russia hawks in both Washington and Europe said Saturday that Trump’s latest demand felt like a tactic for him to avoid taking steps against Russia, even though they also agreed that Europe should put a final stop to buying Russian energy," the article says.
Trump said on Saturday morning he is prepared to impose tough sanctions on Russia if all NATO members act together and stop buying its oil. According to the US leader, this has weakened the alliance's negotiating position.
He also called on NATO countries to impose 50-100% tariffs on China. Trump believes this would help end the Ukrainian crisis, but the tariffs could be lifted after a peaceful settlement.