Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Trump again urged NATO’s European members to eliminate their reliance on Russian oil.

During his speech, Trump accused these nations of “funding the war against themselves,” adding with sarcasm, “Who the hell ever heard of that one?”

He stated that China and India are major financial contributors to the ongoing conflict through their continued purchases of Russian oil. He also expressed displeasure with NATO countries that have not significantly reduced their imports of Russian energy, a fact he said he discovered recently.

European countries have significantly decreased their dependence on Russian oil since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, although they haven’t completely stopped importing it.

Hungary, Slovakia, France, Belgium, and Spain remain the top European importers of Russian energy.

While Hungary and Slovakia continue to purchase Russian oil, France stands as the second-largest European purchaser of Russian energy, importing liquefied natural gas (LNG).

LNG has largely avoided EU sanctions, and France’s continued imports are due to pre-existing “take or pay” contracts lasting until the early 2030s, which obligate France to either continue importing the energy or face penalties.

Trump previously criticized European nations for buying Russian oil, but on Tuesday he broadened his criticism to include all Russian energy imports – a change that followed France’s disagreement with the U.S. over Palestinian statehood.

Trump stated that if Russia is unwilling to negotiate an end to the war, the United States is prepared to impose significant tariffs to halt the bloodshed. However, he emphasized that for these tariffs to be effective, European nations must adopt the same measures.

He added that Europe is closer to the conflict and must increase its efforts by immediately ceasing all energy purchases from Russia, otherwise, their efforts would be futile.

Trump said he intends to discuss this matter with European leaders during his time at the UN this week.

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