The US has avoided imposing secondary sanctions to China To support it in the Russian war in Ukraine, as the wider trade negotiations continue, the US envoy to NATO said Tuesday (2.9.25).
Specifically, President Donald Trump threatened to impose sanctions on buyers of Russian oil unless an agreement between Kiev and Moscow is reached to end the conflict, which is now in its fourth year. So far, the White House has imposed only duties on India on Russian crude oil markets, but not on China, according to Bloomberg.
“President Trump has not imposed duties on China because these negotiations are ongoing. And the war in Ukraine is definitely part of this debate, “the US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker at Bloomberg in an interview in Blend, Slovenia.
“I do not disagree that these would be effective,” Whitaker said, adding that the last time Beijing and Washington were involved in a confrontation between “eye instead of eye” duty, it culminated in 145% duties on both sides. “This is not the way the situation will be resolved both in trade with China and in the war between Russia and Ukraine,” he added, in a novel about the complexities of developing such economic leverage.
Whitaker said that while duties in India “have changed their calculation” on Russian energy markets, “they are probably not going to promote a closer relationship in trade with India.”
As for China, the ambassador stressed, however, that Trump “certainly knows he has these papers to play” and can impose duties if he deems them necessary. Trump extended the trade truce with China last month, as the two sides also discuss a possible leaders’ meeting.
The comments emphasize how Trump’s goals to solve trade imbalances with the US may limit his choices in terms of ending the Russian war.
France and Germany are now pushing for secondary sanctions as their leaders lose their patience with the reluctance of the US president to openly confront Russian President Vladimir Putin for his war in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron will host a confident summit on Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski and some of the country’s leading allies, including some virtual leaders. It is not clear if Trump will participate.
The last two -week deadline of the US President is approaching its expiration, as there has been little clear progress towards a peace deal. Trump welcomed progress at a summit with Putin in Alaska in August, but she seemed to be shaken almost immediately, as Russian officials rejected the idea of strong security guarantees for Ukraine and did not commit to a meeting with Zeuski.