In a bid to achieve peace through economic pressure, President Donald Trump has unveiled a strategy to hit India and China with tariffs of up to 100%, and he is urging the European Union to do the same. The plan aims to sever the economic lifelines that have allowed Russia to sustain its war in Ukraine, thereby forcing President Vladimir Putin to seek a resolution. Senior US and EU officials discussed the bold proposal in a recent Washington meeting.
This aggressive approach stems from the White House’s frustration with the failure of traditional diplomacy to end the conflict. Amid escalating Russian drone attacks, the US is looking for more potent leverage. An administration official stressed that this is a call for a joint effort, stating that the US is “ready to go” but will only proceed if its European allies commit to the same measures.
The choice of India and China as targets is a direct response to their deepening relationships with Moscow, which have been a source of concern for Western nations. Last month, the US took a preliminary step by hiking tariffs on Indian goods to 50% over its Russian oil dealings. Trump’s latest move seeks to build a powerful economic coalition to amplify this pressure on a global scale.
Complicating this entire endeavor is a significant legal hurdle within the United States. The Supreme Court is set to deliver a final judgment on the legality of Trump’s tariffs, a case the administration has consistently lost in lower courts. A negative outcome would not only halt this new initiative but would also force the treasury to pay back tens of billions of dollars in duties already collected.
