Kyiv: From Washington DC to Kyiv, the country under the scanner for its continued trade with Russia has changed. It is now China that the US and its allies have taken aim at, with India no longer the focus of American ire for “funding the Russian war machine”.
US President Donald Trump had posted on Truth Social Saturday that China “has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia”, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the necessity to “influence” Beijing to leverage its ties with Moscow to bring an end to the almost four-year long war.
“Russia is the junior partner [in its ties with Beijing] not China. If China cut off its support for Russia, the war would end tomorrow,” General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Special Envoy for Ukraine said in conversation with Niall Ferguson, the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University at the Yalta European Strategy Annual Meeting last week here in Kyiv.
The focus on China is a large shift emanating from Washington, following senior US officials’ attack on India’s continued purchase of Russian oil throughout the last few weeks. For example, Peter Navarro, the White House Trade Counsellor, declared the Russia-Ukraine war as “Modi’s war” due to India’s purchase of up to $56 billion worth of crude from Moscow in the last financial year.
Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India on 6 August over the purchase of Russian oil, raising the total tariffs applied on Indian goods to 50 percent at the end of last month.
The focus on India and its economic ties with Russia has for the time being given way to China’s relations with the country.
“We must find a way to influence China so that it uses its leverage on Russia for the sake of ending the war. Russia will, in any case, remain a supplier of raw materials for China and politically dependent on China—that is the path they have chosen, and they have already gone too far down it,” Zelenskyy said during his address to the YES Annual Meeting. “But we must find an answer to how to motivate China to take the path without war. And this, too, depends largely on the strength of America and Europe, on the strength of the G7.”
The Ukrainian president added in his address that the world “has not seen any willingness from China” to stop the Russia-Ukraine war, which began on 24 February 2022. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Trump in the American state of Alaska for a summit to find a way to end the war. However, since then Russia has continued to intensify its strikes in Ukraine. The situation has frustrated Trump, with Kellogg highlighting that the US president is “getting exasperated with” Putin.
“Do not put him [Trump] in a position where he thinks he is being used,” warned Kellogg as moves for peace between Moscow and Kyiv continue to stall. Zelenskyy has said that he is willing to meet with Putin in a bilateral or trilateral format with Trump in attendance, and called for an unconditional ceasefire.
However, Russia has made no moves yet to accept such discussions. Trump has pushed for more sanctions on Moscow, as long as his allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) do the same, and stop purchasing Russian oil.
“I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA. Anyway, I am ready to “go” when you are. Just say when? I believe that this, plus NATO, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the WAR with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.
Also Read: Zelenskyy calls for ‘strong response’ against Russia’s trading partners, emphasises China’s role
Further sanctions in the offing
The leaders present at the YES Annual Meeting, from Finnish President Alexander Stubb to British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, all indicated that further economic pressure on Russia is in the offing.
“We want to see a significant increase in the economic pressure on the Putin regime. That has to include sanctions and other different ways,” said Cooper, adding that the focus should be on sanctioning the Russian shadow fleet, and targeting “persons and companies in the world that are aiding the Russian war effort”.
Stubb highlighted that Trump’s frustration with Putin is increasing as the war drags on, pointing out that the American President is “thinking” of imposing “secondary sanctions and tariffs” on third countries.
“When secondary sanctions were placed on India, Putin called [Trump] and said he wanted to meet. We need to close the tap of Russian oil and gas, and I think we need to apply more pressure on countries purchasing Russian energy,” added Stubb.
The latest sanctions package announced by the European Union (EU) targeted the Vadinar refinery located in India, which is partly owned by a Russian company, as well as preventing the resale of refined Russian crude to its markets with certain exceptions.
Kyiv has long pushed for firmer action against the continued flow of Russian crude and gas into global markets. The EU is one of the largest procurers of Russian gas and minerals. In 2024, the EU member-states collectively imported EUR 67.5 billion worth of gas, minerals, fertilisers and iron products from Russia.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: India-US ties begin to thaw after weeks of fury. Trump says trade talks underway, Modi responds