U.S. President Donald Trump had a tense phone conversation with European leaders during which he expressed his dissatisfaction with their policy towards Russian energy resources. The conversation took place on Thursday, September 4, with the participation of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to the German publication BILD, Trump criticized European leaders for purchasing Russian oil, which in his opinion contributes to funding the Russian military machine. Ursula von der Leyen attempted to refute these accusations, noting that oil imports from Russia to the EU have been significantly reduced since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Europeans discuss sanctions against Russia
During the conversation, European leaders proposed coordinating actions with Trump regarding sanctions against Russia. They expressed their readiness to send their representatives to Washington within 48 hours to create a working group on sanctions against Russia. However, it remains unclear whether Trump will agree to this proposal.
During the phone conversation with European leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the policy of purchasing Russian oil and supporting Russia's military operations. In response, European leaders proposed coordination with Trump on sanctions against Russia, but have not yet received a response to their proposal.