U.S. President Donald Trump, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, once again urged European nations to abandon the import of oil and gas from the Russian Federation. He emphasized that continuing to purchase energy resources from an aggressor country contributes to funding the war against Ukraine and undermines the security of Europe itself.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Trump Criticizes EU Policy on Russian Energy Resources
Commenting on the course of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump recalled that many had predicted Russia would achieve victory “in three days,” yet the fighting has now lasted three and a half years. According to him, between five to seven thousand predominantly young soldiers die each week on both sides, and the civilian population also suffers from airstrikes, albeit in smaller numbers.
“This was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish; Russia does not look good because of this, it looks bad. Whatever happens now – it was supposed to take a few days, definitely less than a week, and they have been fighting for three and a half years, killing between five to seven thousand mostly young soldiers on both sides each week,” he stated, adding that civilians are also dying as a result of air attacks, though “much less.”
Trump stressed that the main sponsors of the war through the purchase of Russian oil remain China and India, yet European countries, including NATO members, continue to buy energy resources from the Russian Federation. He sharply criticized this policy, emphasizing that it means “funding a war against themselves.”
Calls for Stricter Measures and European Commission Plans
The U.S. President stated that if there is no progress in ending the war, Washington is prepared to impose a powerful package of sanctions against Russia, but for these actions to be effective, European countries must join in. Trump highlighted that it is the European states that are most interested in ending the war due to their geographical proximity to the combat zone. He urged European countries to immediately stop purchasing energy resources from Russia, calling it a matter of fundamental importance.
In June, the European Commission proposed to gradually phase out Russian oil and gas, including liquefied gas, by the end of 2027. The largest buyers of Russian oil among EU countries remain Slovakia and Hungary, which receive the raw material through the “Druzhba” pipeline, transiting through Ukraine.
According to a study by the Finnish Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and the Bulgarian Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), the import of Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia since the onset of the full-scale war from 2022 to 2024 has brought the Kremlin 5.4 billion euros. This amount is equivalent to the cost of 1,800 Iskander-M ballistic missiles.