Trump deliberately put forward unrealistic conditions for Europe on sanctions against Russia so as not to pressure Putin – WSJ

U.S. President Donald Trump deliberately put forward unrealistic conditions for Europe in order to avoid pressure on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

This was reported by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal.

The publication notes that European governments are pressuring Donald Trump to impose stronger sanctions against Russia, but in response he once again changed the scenario, calling on them to stop purchasing Russian oil and to impose tariffs against India and China.

Trump put forward such demands knowing that the EU would not fulfill them, which would allow him to avoid increasing economic pressure on Russia, WSJ writes, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.

Meanwhile, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that allies cannot demand that Washington increase pressure on Moscow while they continue buying Russian oil.

As a reminder, the European Union considers Trump’s conditions unacceptable and declares that linking American tariffs on China with European ones is a way to do nothing.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on the EU to accelerate the phase-out of Russian energy resources after her meeting with Trump.