Trump issues demand to NATO before imposing 'major' sanctions on Russia

US President Donald Trump has once again turned to his Truth Social platform to issue a bold ultimatum regarding the war in Ukraine. In a lengthy post, Trump declared he is prepared to impose “serious sanctions” on Russia but only if all NATO allies act in unison and meet his conditions.

In his statement, posted under the title “A Letter Sent by President Donald J. Trump to All NATO Nations and the World,” Trump wrote:

“I am ready to do major sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO nations stop buying oil from Russia.”

He criticized certain member states for continuing to purchase Russian oil, saying it “greatly weakens” their negotiating power against Moscow. According to Trump, unless NATO moves as a single unit, the alliance risks wasting both his time and America’s resources.

Trump also tied his demands to economic pressure on China. He floated the idea of NATO introducing tariffs of “50% to 100%” on Chinese imports, arguing that China’s influence over Russia could be broken through coordinated trade measures. He suggested these tariffs should remain in place until the Ukraine war ends.

The President further repeated his long-standing claim that the war is a product of “Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky,” while insisting that his own goal is to end the conflict quickly and save lives. Notably, his message made no direct mention of Vladimir Putin, the leader who ordered Russia’s full-scale invasion over three years ago.

“If NATO does as I say, the war will end quickly, and thousands of lives will be saved,” Trump argued. “If not, you are just wasting my time, and the time, energy, and money of the United States.”

This online statement came just a day after Trump told Fox News that his patience with Putin was “running out fast.” He hinted at the possibility of a stronger US response, saying, “We’re going to have to come down very, very strong.”

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently confirmed that Washington is prepared to tighten economic pressure on Russia but stressed that success depends on Europe’s willingness to act in tandem.

With NATO facing internal divisions over Russian energy, Trump’s words highlight both the stakes and the challenges of forming a united Western response.