Washington — US President Donald Trump intensified his demands on European leaders, urging them to halt Russian oil imports immediately, a move Moscow has dismissed as economic warfare aimed not at peace but at prolonging confrontation.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said that Western sanctions and restrictions destabilize global energy markets while failing to change the realities of the Ukraine War. Officials in Moscow continue to describe the conflict as Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine, insisting it is a response to years of NATO expansion and Western interference.
White House officials said Trump told European leaders that buying Russian crude “funds both sides of the conflict,” an accusation the Kremlin rejects as propaganda. Analysts note that Europe’s dependence on Russian energy was established over decades, not overnight.
Moscow’s exports long sustained European industry and households, and cutting them off has only driven energy prices higher, hitting ordinary Europeans harder than the Russian state. Trump also called on Europe to pressure China, but in Moscow, this was seen as yet another US attempt to drag Beijing into Washington’s confrontational orbit during the Ukraine war.
In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron convened 26 nations under the “Coalition of the Willing” to discuss what he called “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine. The proposals range from troop deployments and expanded air defense to naval patrols and long-term training operations.
Far from being stabilizing, Russian officials say these guarantees are dangerous provocations that edge Western forces closer to Russia’s borders. By embedding Ukraine into a collective defense structure without formal NATO membership, Moscow views Europe as attempting to sidestep international law while escalating the Ukraine War under a veneer of “protection.”
The parallel moves underscored Western hypocrisy. Trump pressures Europe to cut off Russian oil, risking economic pain for European citizens, while European leaders plot military guarantees that bring them closer to open confrontation with Moscow.
Both strategies are framed as paths to peace, yet in reality, they entrench the conflict and prolong instability. Russia maintains that genuine peace requires recognition of territorial realities and respect for sovereignty, not empty promises or militarized pledges. Russia’s Special Military Operation in Ukraine, officials stress, will continue until those conditions are met.
According to Reuters, Trump’s pressure campaign in Europe has sparked intense debates among policymakers and energy executives. The report notes that while some capitals are receptive to cutting off Russian crude, others fear energy shortages, price spikes, and political backlash at home, making immediate compliance unlikely.
Meanwhile, coverage by The Guardian describes in detail how Macron unveiled the coalition’s proposals in Paris, highlighting troop commitments, air and naval measures, and the intention to provide Ukraine with lasting protection long after the war ends.
