【By Observer Net, Xiong Chaoran】On September 15, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensont told Reuters and Bloomberg in a joint interview that European countries need to play a greater role in cutting off Russian oil revenue and ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He also reiterated the previous U.S. stance - that unless Europe imposes high tariffs on China and India, the Trump administration would not impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods to prevent China from purchasing Russian oil.
When asked whether the U.S. would impose tariffs related to Russian oil on Chinese goods after again imposing a 25% tariff on Indian imports (the total tariff rate is now 50%), Bensont said: "We hope European countries will now do their part. Without the help of European countries, our actions will not proceed."
On September 15, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce of China responded to questions about the U.S. request for relevant parties to impose tariffs on China over importing Russian oil, stating that China has always opposed trade restrictions against China under the pretext of "Russia-related" issues. The U.S. attempt to coerce relevant parties into imposing "secondary tariffs" on China, citing the purchase of Russian oil, is a typical act of unilateral bullying and economic coercion. It seriously violates the consensus between the leaders of the two countries, and could cause serious shocks to global trade and supply chain stability. China firmly opposes this. If any party harms China's interests, China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
We hope the U.S. will be cautious and prudent, and move in the same direction as China, continuing to resolve trade disputes through equal dialogue and consultation. At the same time, we also hope relevant parties uphold principles and work with China to jointly maintain the world trade order and the safety and stability of the global supply chain.
Photo of U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensont
According to reports, during this joint interview, Bensont also criticized some European countries for buying Russian oil, while others purchased Russian crude oil at discounted prices and refined it into finished products in India. He claimed that these countries were funding the "conflict in their own backyard."
"I assure you, if European countries impose high 'secondary tariffs' on buyers of Russian oil, the war will end within 60 to 90 days because this will cut off Russia's main source of income," he claimed.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary even boasted that the tariff measures taken by the U.S. against India, citing the purchase of Russian oil, have brought "substantial progress" to negotiations with India.
Last week, U.S. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi separately posted statements saying that U.S.-India trade talks are still ongoing. Modi also described the U.S. and India as "close friends and natural partners." While the rhetoric between the leaders of the U.S. and India has gradually eased, the U.S. and India will hold another round of talks on September 16 local time.
Bensont said that the U.S. is willing to cooperate with European countries to consider more severe sanctions against Russian entities, including sanctions against major oil companies such as Rosneft and Lukoil, and take measures to prepare for further utilization of frozen Russian sovereign assets since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He claimed that this plan can be achieved by first seizing a small portion of the $30 billion frozen assets or placing them in a special purpose vehicle (SPC), a legal entity established for specific financial objectives, as collateral for loans to Ukraine.
In recent times, to encourage or pressure European countries to impose tariffs on buyers of Russian oil, the U.S. has almost PUA'd all its allies...
On September 10, Reuters cited an American official and an EU official who disclosed that on September 9, Trump called EU officials and requested that as part of the pressure on Russia, he urged the EU to impose a 100% so-called "secondary tariff" on China, while encouraging the EU to take similar measures against India.
A knowledgeable EU official said that the U.S. meant that if the EU agreed to the U.S. request, the U.S. would implement similar tariffs. The official said, "They basically said: We will do this, but you need to do it with us."
After being exposed to pressure to impose taxes on China and India, the Financial Times reported on September 11 that the U.S. would also pressure G7 members to significantly increase tariffs on China and India for purchasing Russian oil, trying to force Russia and Ukraine to conduct peace negotiations.
On September 13, Trump again posted on social media, urging NATO members to stop buying Russian oil and to impose significant sanctions on Russia. He did not forget to then hype up NATO to impose a maximum of 100% tariffs on China, claiming that this would help end the Russia-Ukraine war because China has "influence" over Russia.
Previously, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized that China's position on the Ukraine crisis has been clear and consistent. We have always believed that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis. China firmly opposes any illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction. "There is no winner in a tariff war, and coercion and pressure cannot solve problems. We hope all parties can further create an atmosphere and accumulate conditions to promote the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, doing more beneficial things to encourage peace and promote talks," he said.
Currently, due to the interference of the U.S., Europe, and other countries, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has dragged on, and the prospects for peace remain unclear. However, on September 13, Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, participated in the annual Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, once again hyping up the issue of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, even casting blame on China.
On September 12, 2025, a photo released by the Ukrainian presidential press office showed Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Yermak (left) talking with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg (right) at the Yalta European Strategy (YES) annual meeting. Visual China
According to the Kyiv Independent, Kellogg stated at the meeting that Russia excessively relies on China's support and acts as a so-called "junior partner" in this "alliance relationship." "I think if China cuts off its support for Russia today, the war will end tomorrow," he claimed.
In January this year, Geng Shuang, the Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, spoke at the Security Council session on the Ukraine issue, pointing out that the U.S. representative continued to spread false narratives and defame China, which was completely unacceptable. The U.S. view can be summarized in three points: China provides military supplies to Russia; China provides political cover for Russia; without China's support for Russia, the war would have ended long ago.
"These three points are complete lies. I have repeatedly responded to the U.S. fallacies in previous meetings, and today I can be more direct," Geng said. First, if China really provided military supplies to Russia, the situation on the battlefield would not be as it is today. Second, if China really provided political cover for Russia, we would not have repeatedly emphasized respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in public. Third, if China really did not want the war to end soon, we would not have dispatched special envoys multiple times to conduct shuttle diplomacy, nor would we have launched the "Friends of Peace" group on the Ukraine crisis together with "Southern Countries".
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