President Donald Trump is now seeking to end Russia’s war on Ukraine by further wielding the tariff stick against the People’s Republic of China.
On Truth Social, he announced that the U.S. would ramp up its own sanctions on Russia once all NATO countries had led the way by stopping their purchases of Russian oil; also, that the NATO countries should impose “50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA,” with the understanding that these steep tariffs would be rolled back once the Russian-Ukraine war ends (September 13, 2025; the president’s capitalization).
The idea is that Russia is more or less the lackey of the People’s Republic and that Putin will finally get serious about ending the war if the PRC, which has supported Russia’s war making while pretending to be a neutral and peace-loving bystander, snaps its fingers.
China’s grip
“China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip,” Trump says in the post. “If NATO does as I say, the WAR will end quickly, and all of those lives will be saved! If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the United States.”
The president—who during the 2024 campaign had repeatedly said that he would end the war within 24 hours of starting his second term or even “before we ever get there”—has no way of knowing that the sources of pressure he proposes, if brought to bear, will in fact mean a quick end to the war. But he seems to be suggesting that if NATO fails to acquiesce in his plan, the United States government will then stop devoting time, energy, and money on the war. He may well be determined to follow through on the apparent ultimatum at least until he changes his mind.
CNN observes that President Trump “has already doubled tariffs to 50% on India, which purchases oil from Russia, and acknowledged Friday the move ‘caused a rift’ with the country. India has argued that it’s being unfairly targeted with the tariff increase, calling it ‘unjustified’ given that other nations also do business with Moscow.”
Who, us?
In all this, the People’s Republic of China insists that it is innocent of any support for or involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi: “China does not participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue.”
Also see:
The Telegraph: “Revealed: How China is fuelling Putin’s War” (April 24, 2025)
Reuters: “Xi affirms ‘no limits’ partnership with Putin in call on Ukraine war anniversary”
BBC: “How is China supporting Russia after it was sanctioned for Ukraine war?” (May 17, 2024)
Washington Post: “Russia says China agreed to secretly provide weapons, leaked documents show” (April 13, 2023)
