As reported by DW, in response to a question from one of the reporters about whether it was time to pressure Russia and its president Vladimir Putin, Trump replied: "I’ve heard they are working on this, and I’m fine with that. The Republicans are pushing a very strong bill that imposes sanctions on any country doing business with Russia."
According to the president, Iran could also be included in the list of countries that may face sanctions.
The issue of imposing 500% sanctions against Russia's partners has been discussed in the U.S. since April of this year.
This month, Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal proposed imposing trade tariffs of up to 500% on goods that countries purchase from Russia if they do not support Ukraine.
Graham noted that "India and China buy 70% of Russian oil, thereby supporting Putin's military actions." He added that his bill is backed by 84 senators and aims to force these countries to stop financing the Russian war machine.
However, at the end of June, Graham reported that Trump supports his idea, but later Trump himself called the 500% tariffs "somewhat nonsensical," emphasizing that "100% tariffs could achieve the same goals." This statement was made during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House in July.
By the end of July, the U.S. imposed increased tariffs of 25% on goods from India, explaining this decision by stating that India continues to purchase oil from Russia.
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