Don’t miss it The complete story From our staff worker, its report is the basis of this article.
President Trump has asked NATO allies to ban Russian oil and gas completely in exchange for serious sanctions on Moscow, but several members said they cannot comply immediately.
Slovakia and Hungary have been opposing or weakening EU sanctions on Russia, and continue to buy Kremlin oil despite international pressure. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended his country’s position and pointed out that safe energy supply would be impossible for landlocked countries without Russia’s energy supply. He criticized external groups, especially the EU, for pushing decisions that endanger Hungary and Slovakia’s energy security, while ignoring geographical and infrastructure reality.
Türkiye has raised the most significant challenge to Trump’s demands, the third largest importer of Russian fossil fuels worldwide, lagging only behind China and India. Since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Türkiye has purchased more than $80 billion worth of Russian oil, spending $62 billion in 2024 alone. Some imported oil was improved and re-exported, mainly in the EU market.
Mr. Trump criticized NATO’s commitment to Ukraine’s victory “far less than 100%” and believed that continuing to buy Russian energy would undermine the coalition’s negotiating status. He suggested that NATO members impose 50% to 100% tariffs on Chinese products on Chinese products, withdrawing only after the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war, believing that this approach would help resolve the conflict.
Some allies are taking action against Russian energy actions. Britain has announced sanctions on Russia’s “Shadow Fleet” to carry illegal fossil fuels, making its overall sanctions on tankers higher than any other country. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stressed the importance of cutting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s key cash flow in raising funds for the war.
Analysts noted that Moscow continues to generate substantial revenue from energy exports to Asian and European markets despite claims that Europe has reduced its energy dependence. Russia remains the second largest LNG supplier in the EU, accounting for 6.6% of the EU’s total gas consumption last year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supports Trump’s criticism of European allies, saying that the ongoing Russian energy purchases are unfair and that Ukraine fights to survive. He advocates completely blocking all energy transactions with Russia.
Senator Lindsey Graham questioned the effectiveness of the sanctions, believing that Mr. Putin did not care about economic pressure and successfully evaded restrictions, regardless of Russian casualties, his lifestyle.
Read more: Some NATO members are skeptical despite Trump’s push
This article is written only based on Washington Times’ original reports and wire services with the help of generating artificial intelligence. For more information, please read our AI Policy Or contact Digital’s executive editor Ann Wog, at awog@washingtontimes.com
Available at the Washington Times AI Ethics News Editorial Office Committee aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
