Trump: Sanctions on China Could End the Conflict in Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump considered that imposing sanctions or tariffs by European countries on China, as it is the largest importer of Russian oil, could contribute to ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Trump said in an interview with Fox News broadcast on Thursday evening: "If European countries impose sanctions or tariffs on China, I believe the conflict might end, because China is certainly the largest importer of Russian oil."

Trump's statement comes at a time when U.S. officials warned Beijing that its continued purchase of sanctioned Russian oil would lead to strict tariffs, which could reach up to 500% according to legislation being discussed in Congress.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Pruitt announced, following trade talks with the Chinese side in Stockholm, that the U.S. move would push European allies to take similar actions to cut Moscow's revenues from energy exports.

In a related context, Washington imposed an additional 25% tariff on imports from India last August due to its continued purchase of Russian oil, while both Beijing and New Delhi confirmed their adherence to a policy of "national interests" regarding energy security.