President Donald Trump used his Thursday White House meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to push Turkey to halt purchases of Russian oil, warning that continued energy imports undermine global efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office ahead of a closed-door lunch, Trump praised U.S.–Turkey relations but made clear his expectations on energy policy. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine,” Trump said. He condemned Moscow’s actions, saying, “They’ve lost millions of lives already, and for what? Disgraceful.”
The president has repeatedly criticized NATO allies and global powers for funding Russia’s war machine through energy imports. At the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, he singled out China, India, and several European countries for failing to fully cut ties with Russian energy markets. “Inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products,” Trump said.
Trump’s renewed push against Russian oil comes as he has hardened his stance toward Moscow in recent days. After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the U.N., Trump declared that Ukraine is in a position to “fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.” He has since called on NATO and European partners to step up financial and military support for Kyiv.
Central to Trump’s strategy is economic pressure. He has threatened sweeping tariffs on Russian energy and has already imposed a 25% tariff on India over its continued purchases of Russian oil. “In the event that Russia is not ready to make a deal to end the war, then the United States is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs, which would stop the bloodshed, I believe, very quickly,” Trump said. He insisted that European nations must join the U.S. in implementing identical measures for sanctions to be effective.
Trump’s appeal to Erdogan highlights Turkey’s unique position. As a NATO member that maintains ties with both the West and Russia, Ankara has played a balancing role throughout the conflict. Ending its energy trade with Moscow would signal a major shift and bolster Western efforts to weaken Russia’s economy.
