Trump urges Erdogan to cut Russian oil during Oval Office visit

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump confronted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday, urging Ankara to stop buying Russian oil and to apply greater economic pressure on Moscow as the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine drags on. Speaking to reporters in front of Erdogan during the Turkish leader’s visit to the White House, Trump said it was time to push Turkey to sever its energy ties with Russia, arguing that Moscow’s aggression has caused immense loss of life and should be punished economically.

“I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues his rampage against Ukraine,” Trump said. “[Moscow has] lost millions of lives already, and for what? You know, for what? Disgraceful.” He added that Erdogan could have a meaningful influence on ending the war if Ankara chose to step up its stance, noting that Turkey has hosted talks between Russia and Ukraine in the past but has so far sought to maintain a neutral posture between Kyiv and Moscow.

IMAGE: Erdogan and Trump in the Oval Office

IMAGE: Trump gestures during the exchange with Erdogan

Trump said Erdogan, who has hosted talks between Russia and Ukraine, “is neutral right now. He likes being neutral, so do I — I like being neutral. But he’s somebody that, if he got involved, the best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia.” He added that Erdogan knows Putin “like I know Putin,” a line that underscored the complex balancing act Ankara has pursued as it seeks to safeguard ties with both Moscow and Kyiv while managing its own security and economic interests.

The Turkish government has incentive to diversify away from Russian energy, but it is also a major buffer for Moscow. Turkey has long been the largest single buyer of Russian fuel, a status reflected in its substantial purchases of Russian oil products. Between 2022 and 2024, Turkey accounted for about a quarter of all Russian oil product exports, according to figures tracked by the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. In comparison, China—by far the top buyer of Russian crude—imported roughly 12% of Russia’s oil products, with Brazil at 11% in the same period.

Turkey’s broader energy footprint with Russia includes being the fifth-largest purchaser of Russian coal and the fourth-largest importer of Russian liquefied natural gas, behind the European Union, China, Japan and South Korea. The dynamics of these energy ties come as Washington presses a ramping campaign to squeeze Moscow economically. Trump has repeatedly urged allies and partners to curtail their purchases of Russian energy, a strategy he has said would weaken Moscow’s wartime capacity even as Kyiv contends with ongoing fighting on multiple fronts.

Trump’s Oval Office remarks come as he publicly suggested Kyiv could reconquer all of its territory due to Russia’s growing economic strain, a signal that Washington believes Moscow’s domestic vulnerabilities could influence the conflict’s trajectory. The comments follow a broader push by the Trump administration to intensify sanctions and tariff measures against Russia’s trading partners. Last month, Trump announced tariff increases on India—from 25% to 50%—targeting what he described as the second-largest importer of Russian crude oil. India accounts for about 38% of Russia’s crude exports, behind only China, which buys roughly 47%, underscoring the global reach of Russia’s oil market and the challenge for Ankara to navigate aligned pressure against Moscow while safeguarding its own strategic interests.

Trump’s meeting with Erdogan occurred after a period in which Washington sought to mobilize European and other allied capitals to increase energy-related pressure on Moscow. Erdogan’s neutrality has been a consistent feature of Turkey’s foreign policy since the war began, with Ankara arguing for a negotiated settlement that preserves Turkey’s regional role as a mediator. The Turkish leader has emphasized that Ankara’s cooperation with both Moscow and Kyiv remains essential to Turkey’s security, economy and regional influence. Erdogan’s visit provided Trump with an opportunity to press for concrete steps toward reducing Russia’s energy revenue, even as Turkey weighs its own domestic and regional priorities in a volatile security environment.

The clash of interests at the White House reflected broader tensions in European and transatlantic diplomacy over how to contain Russia’s war in Ukraine. European Union members and NATO allies have imposed sweeping sanctions and sought to diversify away from Russian energy, while some partners have faced domestic energy challenges that complicate the path to a unified, punitive approach to Moscow. Trump’s message to Erdogan signals that, even as Turkey maintains a careful balance, Washington is intent on broadening pressure on Russia through energy channels—a strategy that could influence Ankara’s future calculations about its own role in the conflict.