President Donald Trump has delivered a clear ultimatum to the European Union: join the United States in imposing tariffs of up to 100% on India and China, or the US will stand down on this new front against Russia. The proposal is a dramatic attempt to choke off economic support for Vladimir Putin and force an end to the war in Ukraine. According to a White House official, the US is prepared to act immediately but will “only do this if our European partners step up with us.”
This all-or-nothing approach was laid out during discussions in Washington with the EU’s sanctions chief. It highlights Trump’s frustration with his inability to broker a peace deal and is a direct response to Russia’s escalating military actions, including its largest-ever drone attack on Ukraine. By making the move conditional, Trump is placing the onus on the EU to commit to a more aggressive economic stance against Russia’s allies.
The selection of India and China as targets is a strategic response to their strengthening relationships with Moscow, which were recently on display at a summit in China. The US has already demonstrated its willingness to act independently by raising tariffs on Indian imports to 50% due to the country’s Russian oil purchases. This new proposal, however, seeks a much broader and more impactful coalition.
This bold international gambit is paralleled by significant domestic risk. The very authority Trump is wielding is being contested, with a Supreme Court case scheduled for November set to deliver a final verdict. The financial stakes are incredibly high, as a loss would force the US government to refund what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent estimated as “about half the tariffs,” a blow he said would be “terrible for the treasury.”