Trump Meets with Erdogan at the White House, Calls on Turkey to Stop Purchasing Russian Oil

On Thursday this week, US President Trump met with Turkish President Erdogan at the White House and once again called on Turkey to stop importing oil from Russia, emphasizing that it would be "the best thing for Ukraine." Trump attempted to further cut off the source of funding for Russia's war and strengthen pressure on Moscow.

During a joint press conference held in the Oval Office by the two leaders, Trump clearly stated: "If he (Erdogan) could stop purchasing Russian oil and natural gas, that would be the best thing he could do for Ukraine." He added that Russia "has caused millions of deaths, and what is all of this for? It is shameful."

Trump emphasized that Erdogan is "deeply respected by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin," and if he were willing to intervene in the Ukrainian conflict, he could "play a significant role."

This station previously reported that Turkey, Slovakia, and Hungary are currently three important European countries importing Russian oil. According to Associated Press data, the top buyers of Russian oil and natural gas are China, followed by India, and third is Turkey. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia war, Russia has turned to rely more on the Asian market, and Turkey has become one of the main transit and buyer countries.

Facing Trump's appeal, Erdogan did not respond directly in person, but expressed his expectation to discuss "deepening bilateral trade and military cooperation" with the United States. In an interview after the meeting, Erdogan described the U.S. ban on Turkey purchasing F-35s as "incompatible with the strategic partnership."

Turkey-U.S. relations fell into a low point during the presidency of former President Biden. Washington has always been suspicious of Ankara's military cooperation with Moscow, especially focusing on the Turkish military's actions in Syria and the controversy over violating Greek airspace.

However, since Trump took office, there has been a closer personal trust between Trump and Erdogan. Trump not only shares similar views with Turkey on Syria policy but has also repeatedly praised Turkey's military strength and manufacturing capabilities. He described Erdogan as "a very tough person" and said that the U.S. and Turkey have "done a lot of business, and there will be more big deals in the future."

Although the bilateral talks between the U.S. and Turkey did not result in specific agreements, from the "V" gesture and relaxed atmosphere during the photo session after their meeting, it is evident that the relationship between the two sides has shown signs of improvement. Before giving Erdogan a lecture, Trump had criticized China, India, and NATO countries for purchasing Russian oil at the United Nations this week, indirectly "funding enemies of their own war," and even pointed out that Europe was still overly dependent on Moscow for energy, threatening sanctions.

In response to Trump's strong stance, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also met with Trump in New York and stated that the EU is accelerating efforts to completely decouple from Russian energy, aiming to completely get rid of Russian fossil fuels by 2027.

Additionally, the EU plans to impose additional tariffs on Russian oil imported through Hungary and Slovakia to increase pressure on these countries to change their energy supply. Previously, Hungary and Slovakia had received temporary exemptions from the "Druzhba" oil pipeline, but this measure has not been re-examined yet.

Source: rfi

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844287284204682/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.