Trump’s administration sternly warns Beijing against further support for Russia
Photo: US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker (Getty Images)
China must stop "subsidizing the war" in Ukraine by supporting the Russian regime and its military efforts. Otherwise, it will face sanctions from US President Donald Trump in the form of secondary tariffs, states US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, according to Bloomberg.
Whitaker reminded that the White House will impose secondary tariffs on all countries purchasing Russian energy resources if Moscow does not agree to a peace deal within a few weeks.
Meanwhile, China, the US ambassador added, believes it is "fighting a proxy war through Russia." Some statements from the Chinese government, he said, indicate that China wants to draw the US and its allies into the war in Ukraine.
"China thinks they’re fighting a proxy war through Russia, and we’re seeing in some statements by the Chinese government that they want to keep the United States and our allies occupied with this war, so that we can’t focus on our other strategic challenges. China, I think, has miscalculated. I think they need to be called out for their subsidizing this killing that is happening on the battlefields in Ukraine," he said.
Trump’s ultimatum and secondary sanctions
On July 14, Trump gave Putin 50 days to halt military actions against Ukraine. Otherwise, the US president pledged to impose tough sanctions on Russia, which would also affect buyers of Russian oil.
Among other measures, tariffs on goods from such countries would reach 100%. China, India, and Türkiye — major importers of Russian oil — would be hit the hardest. China, in particular, would face the most pressure due to its active support of the Russian regime. At the same time, China is already under intense pressure from the US.
