This morning U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social a notice titled, “A LETTER SENT BY PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP TO ALL NATO NATIONS AND, THE WORLD.” The text opened, “I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA. As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia. Anyway, I am ready to ’go’ when you are. Just say when? I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR.” It continues in this mode.
This latest move follows a campaign over the past 10 days by Trump and other U.S. officials, conducted in the name of crippling Russia’s funding for continuing its “war machine.” Meantime, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sept. 12, talks are “on pause” to resume negotiations over Ukraine. And major purchasers of Russian oil and gas—China and India—repeatedly confirm they will continue hydrocarbon purchases from Russia, their partner nation in the SCO and BRICS.
On Sept. 12, at the G7 finance ministers virtual meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to their joint statement, told “our G7 partners that, if they are truly committed to ending the war in Ukraine, they should join the United States in imposing tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia. Secretary Bessent and Ambassador Greer also welcomed commitments to increase sanctions pressure and explore using immobilized Russian sovereign assets to further benefit Ukraine’s defense.”
