US President Donald Trump told a meeting of world leaders Thursday that Europe must halt purchases of Russian oil and increase economic pressure on China to help bring the war in Ukraine to an end, a White House official told. The administration’s remarks underscored its view that America’s allies need to take on a larger share of the burden in stopping the conflict.
Trump made the comments during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders in a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of Kyiv’s allies focused on securing Ukraine’s defense and preventing future Russian aggression.
French President Emmanuel Macron said following the call that 26 countries have promised to contribute to a potential peacekeeping force if a ceasefire deal is reached. He emphasized that US support would remain critical, noting that alongside strengthening Ukraine’s armed forces and deploying European troops, there must also be an “American safety net.” Macron added, “In the coming days we will finalize the American support for these security guarantees.”
The push comes as the conflict drags on and as Trump faces mounting pressure to punish Moscow while struggling to move peace talks forward. Nearly three weeks after his summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump has become frustrated with the lack of progress. According to officials, he is weighing how personally involved he should be in brokering direct talks between the Kremlin and Kyiv. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, said Friday that a “huge amount of work” is still required before such a meeting could take place.
The White House official said Trump highlighted the financial role of Europe’s energy imports, pointing out that Russia had received €1.1 billion from EU fuel sales in just one year. “The President also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts,” the official added.
While Trump has previously pledged to support post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, his administration has signaled it wants Europe to take the lead. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials have argued that Washington should play only a limited role. The US has indicated to allies it may support guarantees such as manned air support missions but has ruled out sending ground troops.
Zelensky said Thursday that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses and exploring a “new format” of cooperation were under discussion with partners. “We shared it with the partners today and President Trump,” he said. The Ukrainian leader also stressed the importance of tightening economic pressure on Moscow and “all countries who trade with Russia,” pointing to the role of secondary sanctions and special trade tariffs.
Trump, meanwhile, defended his recent decision to raise tariffs on India to 50% over its purchase of Russian oil, saying, “I’ve already done that with regard to India.” He has also threatened “severe consequences” for Putin if he fails to end the war but remains cautious that escalating too far could derail fragile talks.
Zelensky also dismissed Putin’s recent invitation to meet in Moscow, remarking, “Our American partners told me that Putin had invited me to Moscow. In my opinion, if someone wants the meeting to not take place, they should invite me to Moscow.”
