US President Donald Trump has accused Europeans of taking too soft a stance on Russia, saying that "they're talking and they're not doing". He has stressed that further US sanctions will depend on whether Europe strengthens its own restrictive measures and stops buying Russian oil.

Source: Trump speaking to journalists before boarding the presidential aircraft Air Force One

Details: Responding to a question about possible NATO sanctions against Russia, Trump said that the Alliance and Europe "are not doing the job". His main criticism was that European countries continue to buy oil from Russia.

"Look, Europe – they're my friends, but they're buying oil from Russia, so we can't be expected to be the only ones that are full boor," Trump emphasised.

He described the sanctions imposed by Europe as "not tough enough" and set a condition for further action by the US.

"I'm willing to do sanctions, but they're going to have to toughen up their sanctions commensurate with what I'm doing," the US president said.

Clarifying his position, Trump confirmed that he expected synchronised or even ahead-of-schedule actions from European partners.

"Well, I'm ready to move ahead, but they have to. I think they will, but right now they're talking and they're not doing," Trump remarked.

He made it clear that the agreement with Europeans was for a complete halt to purchases of Russian goods.

"The deal is – whether it's natural gas or whether it's cigarettes, I don't care – they [Europeans] are not supposed to be buying from Russia," the US president stressed.

When reminded by journalists about his promise to impose serious sanctions on Russia, Trump insisted that when they are introduced, they will be "very, very strong".

Background:

• On 13 September, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that he is prepared to impose serious sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO countries follow suit and stop buying Russian oil.
• Trump had earlier warned that his patience with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is "running out".

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