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President Trump's administration wants Europe to stop buying Russian oil and join proposed sanctions targeting countries that continue to do so, a senior White House official said.
“Some European countries still rely on Moscow to meet their energy needs, thus aiding Russia’s war machine, although they have reduced their dependence since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,” said a February report from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
"While China, India and Turkey account for almost 75% of all Russian fossil fuel purchases with a total of $187.3 billion in sales last year, European countries nevertheless collectively purchased around $25.5 billion in 2024," the Helsinki-based research institute's report adds.
The US does not import oil from Russia.
These figures mean that Europe spent more on importing Russian oil last year than on financial aid to Ukraine, which was estimated at around $21.7 billion.
" The idea of the US-proposed sanctions has existed, but now, after weeks of stalled peace efforts, President Trump is reconsidering them, but European partners must be willing to join in. The US wants Europe to join the sanctions and stop buying Russian oil," the senior official said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's top adviser, Andriy Yermak, told The New York Post that he believed Europe would be willing to join the US if Washington imposed sanctions and promised to convey this request to European leaders during talks this week.
The White House's move on European cooperation comes after Trump expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their peace summit in Alaska, as Putin continues to bomb Kiev and avoid meeting with Zelensky.
"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that, and we're going to do something that's going to help people live. You know, it's not just a Ukraine issue, it's about helping people live. 7,000 people are dying every week, mostly soldiers, but 7,000 people," Trump told CNN.
Trump has already imposed 50% tariffs on India in part because of its commitment to buying Russian oil.
"Meanwhile, the US also wants to see Europe offer more to Ukraine in terms of security guarantees in the event of an end to the war," the senior White House official said.
"The United States wants to see Europeans increase their support for Ukraine's security and well-being after the war," the source said, without giving details.
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