Trump Urges Europe to Stop Buying Russian Oil, Calls for Pressure on China After Paris Summit Call
White House official says President Donald Trump told European leaders their fuel purchases are 'funding' Putin’s war and urged economic pressure on China following a call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders at the Coalition of the Will…
President Donald Trump urged European leaders to halt purchases of Russian oil that he said are "funding" President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and called on them to apply greater economic pressure on China, a White House official said.
The official, speaking to Fox News Digital, said Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil, noting that Russia received about €1.1 billion in fuel sales from the European Union in one year. The official also said the president pressed European leaders to increase economic pressure on China for what he described as support for Russia’s war efforts.
The remarks followed a conference call that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders attending a Coalition of the Willing summit in Paris. The meeting in Paris, chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelenskyy, took place Sept. 4, 2025, and convened allied officials to discuss support for Ukraine and coordination of sanctions and aid.
Trump’s comments reiterated a central Western argument since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: that energy and trade revenues enable Moscow’s military campaign. The European Union has sharply reduced its imports of Russian oil and other energy products since the invasion, part of a broader package of sanctions and import restrictions adopted by Western governments. Still, some flows and associated revenues to Russia have continued, drawing criticism from U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin invited Zelenskyy to Moscow for security talks, even as Russian forces continued strikes inside Ukraine, according to statements and reporting from the region. The invitation and the request for talks underscore competing diplomatic signals as fighting persists.
Trump’s appeal to target China echoed broader U.S. concerns about third-party support for Russia. Western officials have repeatedly sought to limit Moscow’s ability to procure military and dual-use goods and have scrutinized the role of foreign companies and states in supplying materials and financing that could bolster Russia’s war effort.
European leaders at the Paris summit weighed ongoing assistance to Ukraine and measures to tighten enforcement of embargoes and sanctions. The discussions also focused on long-term reconstruction needs for Ukraine and on ways to coordinate pressure on nations and companies whose trade with Russia might undermine Western policy goals.
The White House official’s account to Fox News Digital was the primary source for Trump’s remarks. European officials and China did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the president’s specific calls for additional economic measures.