US President Donald Trump has urged Turkey to stop buying oil from Russia, part of a wider drive to cut off Moscow's energy funding as the war in Ukraine rages on. Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, Trump said halting those imports would be the best thing his Turkish counterpart could do.
The Oval Office meeting ended without any firm commitments to lift US sanctions on Turkey or to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets, though Trump expressed optimism on both issues. Turkey has for years been prevented from buying US F-35s. In 2019, it was expelled from a programme where it produced parts for the warplane after it acquired air defence systems from Russia.
During a brief question-and-answer session alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he would like Turkey to stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine. The best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia, Trump stated. He added that he believes Erdogan is respected both by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meaning that he could have a big influence on the war if he wants to.
Alongside India and China, Turkey is among Moscow's biggest customers for oil and gas exports, and data shows that the volume of Russian gas that reached Europe through Turkey rose by more than 26% earlier this year. The US president's comments come just weeks after he stated he stood poised to impose tougher sanctions on Russia if NATO countries met specific conditions.
Earlier this week, during a lengthy speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump also accused NATO allies of funding the war against themselves through their purchases of energy from Moscow.
Trump told Erdogan during the Oval Office meeting that he would be successful with buying the things he would like to buy. Erdogan criticized the ongoing F-35 ban, stating it was not very becoming of a strategic partnership. Meanwhile, Trump suggested that sanctions against Turkey could be lifted very soon if they had a productive meeting.
The meeting, which was their second this week following a brief discussion at the UN, signifies the ongoing negotiations between the two countries amid a challenging geopolitical landscape.
The Oval Office meeting ended without any firm commitments to lift US sanctions on Turkey or to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets, though Trump expressed optimism on both issues. Turkey has for years been prevented from buying US F-35s. In 2019, it was expelled from a programme where it produced parts for the warplane after it acquired air defence systems from Russia.
During a brief question-and-answer session alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said he would like Turkey to stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine. The best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia, Trump stated. He added that he believes Erdogan is respected both by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meaning that he could have a big influence on the war if he wants to.
Alongside India and China, Turkey is among Moscow's biggest customers for oil and gas exports, and data shows that the volume of Russian gas that reached Europe through Turkey rose by more than 26% earlier this year. The US president's comments come just weeks after he stated he stood poised to impose tougher sanctions on Russia if NATO countries met specific conditions.
Earlier this week, during a lengthy speech at the UN General Assembly, Trump also accused NATO allies of funding the war against themselves through their purchases of energy from Moscow.
Trump told Erdogan during the Oval Office meeting that he would be successful with buying the things he would like to buy. Erdogan criticized the ongoing F-35 ban, stating it was not very becoming of a strategic partnership. Meanwhile, Trump suggested that sanctions against Turkey could be lifted very soon if they had a productive meeting.
The meeting, which was their second this week following a brief discussion at the UN, signifies the ongoing negotiations between the two countries amid a challenging geopolitical landscape.
