U.S. President Donald Trump has asked the European Union to impose tariffs as high as 100% on goods from India and China in a push to cut off Russia’s financial lifelines and force Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, according to multiple media reports citing officials familiar with the discussions.
The proposal was raised during high-level meetings in Washington on Tuesday between senior U.S. Treasury representatives and EU officials, including the bloc’s sanctions coordinator, David O’Sullivan.
A U.S. official involved in the talks reportedly said the administration was prepared to move immediately but only if Europe agreed to coordinate: “We are ready to act right now, but this must be a joint effort with our European partners.”
The push for tariffs comes amid Trump’s difficulties in securing a breakthrough with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A summit in Alaska earlier this year failed to produce results, and Moscow has intensified aerial assaults on Ukraine, including its largest drone barrage of the war last week.
Trump has told reporters he expects another phone call with Putin “this week or early next week,” describing his recent attempts to mediate as “disappointing.”
At the same time, Russia has moved closer to Beijing and New Delhi. Putin appeared alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a summit in China, highlighting Moscow’s efforts to strengthen non-Western alliances.
The U.S. has already raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil. Despite this, Trump recently posted on Truth Social that Washington remains in trade talks with New Delhi and that he looks forward to speaking with Modi “in the coming weeks.”
So far, European officials have been cautious. Diplomats in Brussels say the EU is unlikely to immediately commit to blanket tariffs on China or India, given their importance to the European economy. However, officials have acknowledged growing pressure to tighten sanctions enforcement and curb flows of Russian energy revenues.
Beijing responded sharply to reports of Trump’s proposal. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said economic coercion against third countries “will not bring peace” and warned that targeting China would harm global trade stability.
Indian officials have taken a more measured tone, with the foreign ministry emphasizing that India maintains a “strategic autonomy” policy. While New Delhi has condemned attacks on civilians in Ukraine, it has defended energy purchases from Russia as necessary for its economic stability.
Ukraine’s government welcomed Trump’s push for more sanctions, with a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky calling it “a necessary step to cut off the oxygen of war financing.” Kyiv has repeatedly urged Western allies to pursue secondary sanctions on countries that continue to buy Russian oil.
The debate highlights one of the central tensions of the war: while Western nations have imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow, Russia has managed to offset much of the impact by selling oil and gas to Asia, particularly China and India. Those revenues help sustain its military campaign despite growing battlefield costs.
Trump’s tariff push is aimed at cutting off those alternative revenue streams. But the plan risks straining U.S. and European trade ties with two of the world’s fastest-growing economies, potentially raising global prices and triggering retaliation.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now in its third year, with heavy fighting continuing in the east.
Moscow has escalated air and drone attacks, including the largest single-day assault of the war last week.
Ukraine continues to call for harsher sanctions on Russia’s oil exports and more Western weapons.
Russia has deepened ties with China and India, who remain among its biggest energy customers.
The U.S. and EU are debating how far to go with secondary sanctions and tariffs to force Moscow into negotiations.