US Urges G7 to Impose Tariffs on China, India Over Russian Oil

The US is calling on G7 countries to impose high tariffs on China and India for their purchases of Russian oil, writes the Financial Times, adding that the US will exert pressure to achieve this goal, trying in this way to force Moscow into peace negotiations with Ukraine.

On September 12, during a video conference, G7 finance ministers will discuss the US proposal for a new package of measures, against the backdrop of Donald Trump's intensified efforts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine.

"China and India's purchases of Russian oil are financing Putin's war machine and prolonging the senseless killing of the Ukrainian people. Earlier this week, we made it clear to our EU allies that if they are serious about ending the war in their own backyard, they must join us and impose significant tariffs that will bring the day of the end of the war closer. President Trump's Peace and Prosperity Administration is ready, and our G7 partners must join us," said a US Treasury Department official.

He declined to specify the size of the planned tariffs, but sources familiar with the situation said that the US proposal ranges from 50% to 100%.

EU officials understand that imposing such high tariffs on two key trading partners will be difficult, given the economic consequences and likely retaliatory measures from Beijing. However, Brussels hopes to persuade the US to exert similar pressure through other means, in particular, by tightening sanctions against Russian energy producers and setting a deadline for member states to stop purchasing Russian oil and gas by 2027.

According to three European officials, this would require Trump to put pressure on Hungary and Slovakia. The EU is already discussing the imposition of sanctions against China for its purchase of cheap Russian oil and gas.

But against this backdrop, Washington is seeking not to create grounds for a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. President Trump's statements regarding the incursion of drones into Polish territory testify to this. "It could have been an inaccuracy," Trump said, speaking about the appearance of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles in Polish airspace. "But, despite that, I am not happy with everything related to this whole situation."