Trump urges EU: 100% tariffs against India, China
To pressure Moscow and curb its war in Ukraine, the US president has proposed sweeping tariffs aimed at Russia’s allies and major trade partners, signaling a tougher stance that could reshape global trade dynamics while intensifying diplomatic tensions worldwide.
US President Donald Trump has urged the European Union to follow Washington’s lead and impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from India and China. The move, he said, is designed to put maximum economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force an end to the war in Ukraine.
According to a White House official, Trump made the demand during high-level meetings in Washington on Tuesday with EU officials and senior US Treasury staff. The discussions focused on how to intensify sanctions and weaken Moscow’s economic support system.
The proposal reflects Trump’s growing frustration over the slow progress of peace talks. Despite a high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska earlier this year, efforts to broker a breakthrough have stalled. Meanwhile, Russia has escalated its offensive, launching record-breaking drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Trump told reporters he expects to speak directly with Putin “this week or early next week.”
At the same time, Putin has been strengthening ties with his allies. A recent summit in China saw him standing alongside President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, projecting a united front against Western pressure. This growing alignment has further alarmed Washington. Last month, the US doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
He said ongoing trade negotiations with New Delhi would continue, expressing confidence that “both of our great countries” could resolve their disputes.
The talks in Washington also coincided with Mexico announcing it would sharply raise tariffs on Chinese and other Asian automobile imports, from 20% to 50%, in a bid to protect local jobs.
Trump’s tariff push, however, faces legal uncertainty at home. Earlier this year, a US trade court ruled that his previous tariff hikes exceeded presidential authority. An appeals court upheld that ruling, and the case is now heading to the Supreme Court in November. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has acknowledged that if the court rules against the administration, Washington could be forced to refund tens of billions of dollars in collected tariffs. Still, he expressed confidence the government would prevail.
For now, Trump is doubling down on tariffs as his primary weapon — not only against Moscow, but also against countries seen as helping Putin weather Western sanctions.