Overview

• At a Mount Vernon dinner, the president criticized ongoing European purchases and publicly tasked U.S. NATO envoy Matt Whitaker to push allies to curb Russian oil flows.
• He reiterated that strict U.S. sanctions on Russia would follow only if all NATO members collectively end Russian oil imports.
• He urged NATO countries to impose import tariffs of 50% to 100% on China as leverage linked to a future Ukraine settlement.
• He said his administration is taking steps to boost U.S. oil production and lower costs to support the pressure campaign.
• Reporting notes most direct European purchases stopped after 2022, yet limited supplies still reach Hungary and Europe continues to import diesel refined from Russian crude in India and Turkey.