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US Urges G7, EU To Impose Tariffs On India, China Over Russian Oil Purchases

ABP Live News | September 13, 2025 2:11 PM CST

Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations held a conference call on Friday to deliberate fresh measures aimed at tightening economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine. The meeting was chaired by Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, with Canada currently holding the rotating G7 presidency.

According to a statement from Ottawa, discussions centered on strengthening existing sanctions and exploring new tools, including tariffs on countries accused of facilitating Russia’s oil trade. The talks also addressed ways to utilise frozen Russian sovereign assets to bolster Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged fellow G7 partners to align with Washington’s approach by imposing tariffs on nations continuing to import Russian oil. In a joint statement following the meeting, Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer welcomed commitments from G7 allies to expand sanctions and accelerate work on asset seizure mechanisms.

“Only with a unified effort that cuts off the revenues funding Putin’s war machine at the source will we be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end the senseless killing,” Bessent and Greer said. They credited President Donald Trump’s leadership for what they described as decisive U.S. action against Russian oil purchasers and expressed optimism that other G7 members would adopt similar measures.

"Thanks to President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States has already taken dramatic action against the purchasers of Russian oil. We are encouraged by the assurances of our fellow G7 nations that they are committed to ending this war, and we are hopeful that they will join us in taking decisive action at this critical time," they said.

Joint Statement from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ambassador Jamieson Greer on Emergency G7 Finance Call - ...."Only with a unified effort that cuts off the revenues funding Putin’s war machine at the source will we be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end… pic.twitter.com/7jaqHQCsoO
— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2025

Earlier on Friday, a spokesperson for the US Treasury Department reiterated Washington’s call for G7 and EU allies to consider “meaningful tariffs” on imports from China and India, aimed at curbing their purchases of Russian crude.