After US President Donald Trump threatened to put new tariffs on NATO colleagues to buy oil from Russia, China has given a strong message to Washington. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Slovenia that Beijing neither plotting war and participates in it, and also warned that restrictions only make conflicts more complicated.
Trump warns NATO
Trump targeted countries buying Russian energy in a letter to NATO members. He said that he is ready to impose big restrictions on Russia, provided all the NATO countries agree to do so and stop buying oil from Russia. Trump described these purchases as ‘shocking’ and said that NATO countries are weakening their bargaining power with Russia by doing so.
Attempted pressure on China
The US has already imposed heavy duty on India for import of Russian crude oil. Now Trump’s administration is emphasizing on imposing similar punishment on China, which is considered an important economic ‘lifeline’ for Russia. American officials are also pressurizing G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain) to support the targets targeting India and China. Finance Minister Scott Besant said that an integrated effort is required to stop Putin’s war machine.
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China’s stance
China has reiterated its position of avoiding confrontation by maintaining its close relationship with Russia. External Affairs Minister Wang Yi recently took the same stand during a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. His comments in Slovenia directly opposed Washington’s ban-based policy.
Trump’s political strategy
Trump has put the responsibility of this war on the Biden administration, saying that if he had been the President, this war would never have started. He also claimed that the war will end early and thousands of lives will be avoided by the collective ban and stopping the purchase of Russian oil. Trump warned that without NATO unity, all this is only a waste of time and resources.
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Moscow and Kyiv’s response
Despite Trump’s threats, he has not yet imposed any new ban on Moscow, disappointing Ukrainian officials. Meanwhile, Russia has launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the war began. Trump’s statement arises the question that how far he is willing to go and how much unity can be achieved from his colleagues.